KARACHI: Pakistan will temporarily close its airspace for three hours on October 28 and 29, according to a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA).
The NOTAM stated that the closure would remain in effect from 6am to 9am on both days and would apply to all airlines and aviation operations.
Sources familiar with the matter said the decision was taken in view of potential Indian military exercises near the Pakistani border. Indian media reports have confirmed that India is set to conduct a large-scale tri-service combat exercise, Trishul 2025, along the western border with Pakistan from October 30 to November 10. India has also restricted its airspace near Gujarat and Rajasthan during the drills.
The joint exercise comes amid renewed tensions between the two neighbours following a series of cross-border incidents earlier this year. During a visit to forward naval posts in the Creeks area, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf reaffirmed Pakistan Navy’s readiness to defend the country’s maritime boundaries.
Tensions had escalated after a terrorist attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam area on April 22, for which New Delhi blamed Pakistan without providing evidence. Islamabad rejected the allegation and offered an international investigation into the incident.
In the aftermath, India carried out unprovoked strikes inside Pakistan, prompting a defensive response from Pakistan’s armed forces under Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos in May.
During the confrontation, Pakistan downed several Indian aircraft and drones. The conflict ended after 87 hours with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States on May 10.
