Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian aircraft till April 24

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) has extended airspace restrictions on Indian aircraft till April 24, according to a fresh notice to airmen (Notam) issued on Wednesday.

The authority stated that Pakistan's airspace would remain closed to all aircraft registered in India. The restriction would also continue to apply to aircraft operated, owned, or leased by Indian airlines or operators, the Notam said, adding that it also covered Indian military flights.

Both flight information regions affected

Pakistan's airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022. The Notam applies to both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs, effectively barring Indian aircraft from all Pakistani airspace.

The fresh Notam was issued days before the previous one was set to expire on March 23, ensuring there would be no gap in the enforcement of the airspace restrictions against Indian-registered and Indian-operated aircraft.

Background to the airspace closure

India and Pakistan have closed their airspaces to each other's airlines since tensions between the two neighbouring countries escalated. The mutual airspace bans have remained in place, with both sides periodically extending the restrictions through successive Notams.

The latest extension till April 24, 2026, signals a continuation of the status quo, with no immediate indication of a thaw in aviation relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The closure has had significant implications for airlines from both countries, forcing them to take longer alternative routes to reach destinations that would otherwise involve transiting through each other's airspace.

The PAA's decision to issue the new Notam well ahead of the previous restriction's expiry date underscores the ongoing nature of the bilateral airspace standoff. The ban covers a comprehensive range of Indian aviation operations, including commercial, private, and military flights.