The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has prolonged the ban on all Indian-owned and Indian-operated aircraft from using Pakistani airspace until June 23, as stated in a newly issued Notice to Airmen (Notam) on Tuesday. This restriction, effective immediately, covers all Indian-registered planes, including commercial and military aircraft, as well as those leased by Indian airlines.
Originally, the airspace ban was scheduled to expire at 5 a.m. on May 24, 2026, but the PAA decided to extend it further. The previous extension was announced in April, a move that has caused significant financial losses running into billions of rupees for Indian carriers.
Pakistan initially closed its airspace to Indian airlines in April of last year, responding to New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Water Treaty amid escalating tensions following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, allegations Islamabad denies while calling for an impartial investigation.
In retaliation to Pakistan’s airspace closure, India also barred Pakistani airlines from its airspace starting April 30, 2025. The conflict intensified after India launched unprovoked strikes on multiple Pakistani cities on May 6-7, 2025, prompting Pakistan’s armed forces to initiate a large-scale counteroffensive named “Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” targeting several Indian military sites across various regions.
During the conflict, Pakistan successfully shot down eight Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, along with numerous drones. After approximately 87 hours of hostilities, the war between the two nuclear-armed neighbors concluded on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
While Indian aviation has suffered substantial setbacks due to these restrictions, the impact on Pakistan’s aviation sector has been relatively limited. Historically, Pakistan has imposed similar airspace bans during periods of heightened conflict, such as the 1999 Kargil war and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both times resulting in more severe disruptions for Indian aviation than for Pakistan.
