Pakistan Extends Ban on Indian Aircraft Using Its Airspace

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has extended the closure of Pakistani airspace to Indian flights.

The PAA issued a new Notice to Airmen (Notam), confirming that the restriction will remain in place until 4:59am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) on Sept 24.

According to the Notam, the ban took effect from Aug 18 and applies to all aircraft registered in India. It also covers Indian airlines, aircraft leased by India, and commercial and military aircraft owned or operated by Indian nationals.

The latest notification is the 16th Notam issued to extend the airspace restriction.

Pakistan first imposed the ban on April 23, 2025. The decision came after New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

India accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, a claim Islamabad strongly denied. Pakistan called for an independent and transparent investigation into the incident.

India later responded by closing its own airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30, 2025.

Tensions between the two countries increased further when India launched strikes on several Pakistani cities on May 6 and 7, 2025.

Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, targeting several Indian military installations.

During the confrontation, Pakistan said it had shot down eight Indian fighter aircraft, including three Rafale jets, as well as dozens of drones. The hostilities continued for nearly 87 hours before Pakistan and India agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.

The continued airspace restrictions have had a significant financial impact on India’s aviation sector. Pakistan’s aviation industry, however, has experienced comparatively less disruption.

Pakistan has imposed similar airspace restrictions during previous periods of tension, including the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis. Those restrictions also created greater operational difficulties for Indian airlines than for Pakistani carriers.