Indian aircraft to remain barred from Pakistani airspace until November 24

KARACHI: Pakistan has extended its airspace restrictions on Indian aircraft for another month, with the ban now set to remain in force until November 24, according to a NOTAM issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Saturday.

A PAA spokesperson said the restrictions would expire at 5am on November 24.

Pakistan first imposed the ban on April 23, 2025, barring Indian aircraft from using its airspace. The restriction has been extended repeatedly since its introduction.

Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian aircraft amid heightened tensions between the two neighbouring countries following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which triggered a diplomatic and military escalation.

India accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, an allegation Islamabad firmly denied while calling for an independent and transparent investigation.

India subsequently closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30, 2025, in response to Pakistan’s decision.

Tensions escalated further when India launched strikes on several Pakistani cities on May 6 and 7, 2025. Pakistan retaliated with Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, targeting multiple Indian military installations.

During the confrontation, Pakistan said it had shot down eight Indian fighter aircraft, including three Rafale jets, along with dozens of drones. The hostilities lasted nearly 87 hours before the two nuclear-armed neighbours agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10, 2025.

The restrictions have had a greater financial impact on India’s aviation sector than on Pakistan’s, according to assessments of the disruption to regional air travel.

Pakistan has imposed similar airspace restrictions in the past, including during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis. Those episodes also created greater operational challenges for Indian airlines than for Pakistani carriers.