An IndiGo Airlines Airbus A320 aircraft is pictured parked at a gate at Mumbai airport in this undated image. — Reuters
- Fresh Notam remains effective until 5am on November 24.
- Pakistan first closed its airspace to Indian aircraft in April 2025.
- Restriction follows heightened tensions after Pahalgam attack.
KARACHI: Pakistan has extended its ban on Indian aircraft using its airspace until November 24, according to a Notice to Airmen (Notam) issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Saturday.
A PAA spokesperson said the new NOTAM would remain in effect until 5am on November 24.
The restriction, initially imposed on April 23, 2025, applies to Indian aircraft using Pakistani airspace. The latest extension continues a ban that has been in place since last year.
Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian aircraft amid heightened tensions between the two neighbouring countries following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the subsequent diplomatic and military escalation.
India accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, an allegation Islamabad has firmly denied while calling for an independent and transparent investigation.
In response to Pakistan’s decision, India closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30, 2025.
Tensions escalated further when India launched strikes on several Pakistani cities on May 6 and 7, 2025. Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, targeting multiple Indian military installations in a large-scale retaliatory operation.
During the confrontation, Pakistan said it had shot down eight Indian fighter aircraft, including three Rafale jets, along with dozens of drones. The hostilities lasted nearly 87 hours before the two nuclear-armed neighbours agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10, 2025.
The airspace restrictions have had a greater financial impact on India’s aviation sector, while Pakistan’s aviation industry has experienced comparatively limited disruption.
Pakistan has imposed similar airspace restrictions in the past, including during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis. These episodes also caused greater operational challenges for Indian airlines than for Pakistani carriers.
