Pakistan’s prohibition on Indian aircraft flying through its airspace is approaching its one-year mark, with authorities announcing an extension of the ban for an additional month via a new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). The Pakistan Airports Authority confirmed that all Indian-registered, leased, commercial, and military planes will remain barred from Pakistani airspace until 5am on May 24, 2026.
This airspace closure, initially imposed on April 24, 2025, has inflicted financial losses amounting to billions of rupees on Indian airlines. The move was a retaliatory response after New Delhi suspended the crucial Indus Water Treaty amid escalating tensions following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), an incident India attributes to Pakistan. Islamabad has denied these accusations and called for a transparent investigation.
In a reciprocal action, India closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines starting April 30. The situation further escalated after India launched unprovoked attacks on multiple Pakistani cities on May 6-7, 2025, following the Pahalgam incident. Pakistan responded with a large-scale military operation named “Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” targeting several Indian military sites across various regions. During the conflict, Pakistan shot down seven Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, along with numerous drones.
After intense hostilities lasting at least 87 hours, the conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States. While Indian aviation has suffered significant setbacks, the impact on Pakistan’s aviation sector has been relatively limited.
Notably, this is not the first instance of Pakistan imposing such airspace restrictions. Similar closures occurred during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both times resulting in greater disruptions for Indian aviation compared to Pakistan.
