Pakistan closes airspace for Indian flights, disrupting regional aviation

Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced the closure of its airspace to Indian-registered airlines, following a decision to suspend overflight permissions amid escalating tensions with New Delhi. The restriction, outlined in a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), applies to all Indian civil and military aircraft, as well as any aircraft operated or leased by Indian carriers. The ban will remain in effect for an initial period of one month.

Indian airlines, including Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air, will be significantly affected, with daily overflights between Pakistan and India totaling between 70 and 100. These flights typically use Pakistani airspace for routes to destinations in the Middle East, Europe, and beyond, including major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Goa, and Lucknow.

The closure is expected to add up to two extra hours to flight durations, leading to millions of rupees in additional operational costs per day, according to aviation analysts.