[ThunderSleeps]

Actually you can get a pretty good approximation of shortest paths with a string and a globe. Stretch the string taut from start to finish... For in-atmosphere flights Earth's rotation isn't a big factor. Prevailing winds however are.

Ignoring those as a first cut though, the most direct route would be NNE out of Bengaluru, over Inda, western China, bisecting Afghanistan south to north, and across eastern Siberia, down over Alaska, western Canada...

Why they would route the other way? Maybe prevailing winds. Maybe to avoid the airspace over some of those countries. Maybe because of a dearth of abort/divert airfields along that route...

[headstamp 2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqecdQyTFvM

[lacrew]

I’m speculating, but Afghanistan and inland China are probably no better than the ocean, as far as emergency landing is concerned.

Presuming this flight has a return flight, I don’t think prevailing winds are that much of a concern.

I wonder if flights in and out of India have to avoid Pakistan.

[TalonDJ]

“Why they would route the other way? Maybe prevailing winds.”

Well they will be too far south to get much out of the Jetstream... I think.