Indian airlines barred from using Pakistani airspace until Nov 24 as ban extended

Published Updated
0
An IndiGo cargo aircraft is displayed at Wings India 2024 aviation event at Begumpet airport in Hyderabad, India, on Jan 18, 2024. — Reuters/File
An IndiGo cargo aircraft is displayed at Wings India 2024 aviation event at Begumpet airport in Hyderabad, India, on Jan 18, 2024. — Reuters/File

Pakistan has extended its airspace ban for Indian aircraft for another month, until Nov 24, according to a Notice to Airmen (Notam) issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA).

The previous extension of the ban was set to expire on Oct 24.

“Pakistan airspace not available for Indian registered aircraft and aircraft operated/owned or leased by Indian airlines/operators, including military flights,” the Notam said.

According to the notice, the extension came into effect at 7:45pm on Saturday and will remain until 04:59am on Nov 24, 2026.

The country’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022.

Saturday’s Notam applies to both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs.

India and Pakistan closed their airspaces to each other’s airlines in late April 2025, when tensions between them escalated in the wake of a deadly attack in India-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

On April 24, Pakistan’s top brass had announced a series of measures, including the closure of its airspace to all India-owned or Indian-operated airlines with immediate effect, as it retaliated against New Delhi’s slew of aggressive measures against the country.

New Delhi, without evidence, had alleged that Islamabad backed the Pahalgam attack. However, Pakistan had strongly denied any involvement and offered a neutral probe. The nuclear powers had the fiercest air battle in May, in which Pakistan said it downed seven Indian fighter jets.

Since then, Pakistan has extended the airspace ban several times, forcing Indian carriers to use longer and costlier routes.

For Air India, the country’s only carrier with a major international network, fuel costs rose by as much as 29 per cent and journey times by up to three hours on some long-haul routes, according to a document submitted to Indian officials last October.

The airline, owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, estimated the Pakistan airspace closure’s impact on its profit before tax at $455 million annually — a significant amount given its fiscal 2024-25 loss stood at $439m.

Opinion

Editorial

No talks
Updated 17 Oct, 2026

No talks

The government should understand that the PTI’s protest march and its reaction to it will look like nothing more than a storm in a teacup.
Strengthening LGs
17 Oct, 2026

Strengthening LGs

THE ECP has done well to refuse to allow the Punjab administration to push the local government elections to April....
Lesser citizens
Updated 17 Oct, 2026

Lesser citizens

Interfaith harmony will prevail when the message to end bias is conveyed from the pulpit, alongside efforts to punish zealotry.
Deadly classrooms
Updated 16 Oct, 2026

Deadly classrooms

Parents should not have to become structural engineers to judge whether their children are safe at school.
Diplomatic options
Updated 16 Oct, 2026

Diplomatic options

Regional states know that the alternative to talks — a fully fledged war on both fronts — will bring immeasurable destruction to the Gulf, the Red Sea and the surrounding areas.
Hunger in Pakistan
16 Oct, 2026

Hunger in Pakistan

PAKISTAN’S position as the country most affected by hunger in South Asia is not surprising. An economy battered by...