The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has firmly rejected reports claiming that the country’s airspace had been partially closed to commercial flights. In a statement released on Tuesday, the PAA assured the public that Pakistan’s airspace remains fully open, safe, and operational for all civil aviation traffic.
The clarification came in response to media reports suggesting that Pakistan had imposed restrictions on airspace due to security concerns stemming from the ongoing US-Iran conflict. This conflict has already led to significant disruptions in air travel across the region.
In its statement, the PAA emphasized that “Pakistan’s airspace as a whole remains fully open, safe, and completely available for all civil aviation traffic, including commercial flights.” The authority further clarified that air traffic services continue without any hindrances, with alternative routing options being regularly used for affected flight paths.
The PAA also reassured passengers and airline operators that there have been “no restrictions imposed on commercial operations, arrivals, departures, or overflights across Pakistan,” and confirmed that air traffic controllers and airport personnel are fully operational and managing flights as usual.
Addressing the confusion, the PAA refuted the media’s interpretation of a recent operational advisory, calling it “incorrect and misleading.” The advisory, it explained, referred to a routine operational notice specifying the closure of certain routes “from ground level (GND) to unlimited altitude (UNL)” for standard operational reasons.
The authority urged both media outlets and social media users to rely on official statements to avoid spreading speculative or inaccurate headlines that could unnecessarily alarm passengers or the general public.
The denial of airspace restrictions comes amid ongoing global air travel disruptions, especially in the Middle East. Since Sunday, the region has seen widespread flight cancellations and airport closures, including at major hubs like Dubai — the world’s busiest international transit point — due to air strikes following the reported assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The situation has severely impacted air traffic in and out of the Middle East, with several key airports, including those in the UAE and Qatar, either shut down or operating under tight restrictions.
