ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ban on Indian aircraft using its airspace is set to complete one year, as authorities have extended the restriction for another month through a fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).
The Pakistan Airports Authority announced that all Indian-registered, leased, commercial, and military aircraft will remain prohibited from entering Pakistani airspace until 5am on May 24, 2026.
Pakistan has kept its airspace closed to Indian flights since April 24, 2025, a move that has reportedly caused Indian airlines losses worth billions of rupees.
The restriction was initially imposed as a tit-for-tat response after New Delhi suspended the Indus Water Treaty amid escalating tensions following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). India blamed Islamabad for the incident, while Pakistan rejected the allegations and called for a transparent investigation.
In response to Pakistan’s move, India also shut its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30.
Following the Pahalgam attack, India launched strikes on multiple Pakistani cities on May 6–7, 2025. In retaliation, Pakistan’s armed forces initiated a large-scale military operation named “Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” targeting several Indian military sites across different regions.
Pakistan claimed it downed seven Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, along with dozens of drones. After approximately 87 hours of conflict, both nuclear-armed countries agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, brokered by the United States.
While India’s aviation sector has suffered significant financial losses, the impact on Pakistan’s aviation industry has remained minimal.
This is not the first instance of such measures. Pakistan previously closed its airspace during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both times resulting in greater disruption for Indian aviation than for Pakistan.