Pakistan extends airspace restrictions on Indian aircraft until June 23

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has prolonged restrictions on Indian aircraft using its airspace until June 23, according to a fresh notice to airmen issued on Tuesday by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA).

A PAA spokesperson said the restrictions took effect immediately and cover all aircraft that are Indian-owned or Indian-operated. The spokesperson said the ban also applies to Indian-registered aircraft, including both commercial and military planes, as well as aircraft leased by Indian airlines.

Fresh Notam issued

The latest extension replaces the previous deadline under which the airspace ban had been due to expire at 5am on May 24, 2026. The PAA had also extended the restriction in April.

The continued closure has caused losses running into billions of rupees for Indian airlines, while the effect on Pakistan’s aviation sector has remained limited.

Background to the restrictions

Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian airlines in April last year in a reciprocal move after New Delhi suspended the Indus Water Treaty amid heightened tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

India has blamed Pakistan for the attack, an allegation Islamabad has rejected. Pakistan has also called for a transparent inquiry into the incident.

After Pakistan imposed the restriction, India also closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30 last year.

Military escalation last year

After the Pahalgam attack, India carried out attacks on multiple Pakistani cities on May 6-7, 2025. In response, Pakistan’s armed forces launched a retaliatory operation, Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, and struck several Indian military targets in multiple areas.

Pakistan shot down eight Indian fighter aircraft, including three Rafale jets, as well as dozens of drones. The conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours lasted at least 87 hours before ending on May 10 under a ceasefire brokered by the United States.

Previous precedents

This is not the first time Pakistan has imposed such curbs on Indian aviation. Similar airspace closures were enforced during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, and in both cases India experienced greater disruption to its aviation operations than Pakistan.

The latest Notam means Indian aircraft covered by the restriction will remain unable to use Pakistani airspace until June 23 unless a further revision is issued by the authorities.