Pakistan has prolonged its prohibition on Indian aircraft flying through its airspace until August 24, 2026, as announced by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Saturday. This extension follows government directives and continues a restriction initially imposed on April 23, 2025.
The ban covers all Indian-registered planes, Indian airlines, and aircraft leased by Indian operators. The airspace closure, which was due to expire at 4:59 a.m. on July 24, had already been extended in May 2026. This ongoing restriction has inflicted financial losses amounting to billions of rupees on Indian carriers.
The latest Notice to Airmen (Notam) officially prolongs the existing ban for an additional month until August 24, 2026. Pakistan first imposed the ban in April 2025 after India 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 charge Islamabad has strongly denied, calling instead for an independent and transparent inquiry.
In retaliation to Pakistan’s airspace ban, India closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30, 2025. Tensions escalated further when India conducted airstrikes on multiple Pakistani cities on May 6 and 7, 2025. Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, a large-scale counterattack targeting several Indian military sites.
During this confrontation, Pakistan shot down eight Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, as well as numerous drones. The hostilities persisted for nearly 87 hours before both nuclear-armed neighbors agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the United States on May 10.
The airspace restrictions have disproportionately affected India’s aviation sector, causing significant financial strain, while Pakistan’s aviation industry has faced relatively minor disruptions. Historically, Pakistan has imposed similar airspace bans during previous conflicts, such as the 1999 Kargil war and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both of which also posed greater operational challenges for Indian airlines compared to Pakistani carriers.
