Pakistan to extend airspace ban on India for another month

Pakistan is expected to extend its airspace closure for Indian aircraft for an additional month amid heightened tensions following recent military and diplomatic escalations, according to media reports.

The closure, implemented on April 24 after India unilaterally shut its airspace for Pakistan on April 23, was a response to rising hostilities following a deadly incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The airspace restrictions, effective until May 23, apply to both commercial and military aircraft.

According to sources, Pakistan’s Aviation Division is preparing to issue a new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) extending the closure. Under International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rules, such closures can only be implemented for one month at a time.

Officials cited the lack of improvement in bilateral relations as the reason for the likely extension. The current airspace closure has significantly disrupted Indian flight operations, especially long-haul routes, resulting in detours, refuelling stops, and increased operational costs.

Pakistani officials note that the impact on their own aviation sector is minimal due to already limited eastbound operations.

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The closure affects an estimated 200 to 300 Indian flights that traverse Pakistani airspace daily. Several Indian carriers have had to reroute flights to and from Europe, North America, and the Middle East, leading to increased fuel consumption and delays.

This is not the first instance of airspace restrictions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Pakistan previously closed its airspace during the Kargil conflict in 1999 and the Pulwama incident in 2019, both times severely affecting Indian air traffic.

The airspace restrictions follow a broader diplomatic breakdown, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, visa schemes, and bilateral trade and transit routes. Both nations have also expelled senior diplomats in recent weeks.