Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan has renewed its restriction on Indian aircraft, extending the airspace ban until December 24 through a new notice to airmen (Notam) issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), it emerged on Thursday.
The extension comes only days before the previous ban was due to lapse, continuing a months-long closure that began after tensions spiked between the two neighbours in late April following a deadly attack in IIOJK’s Pahalgam that left 26 people dead. Islamabad last prolonged the restriction in mid-October, keeping it in place until November 24.
According to the latest Notam, the updated ban took effect at 2:50pm on November 19 and will remain in force until 4:59am on December 24. The restriction applies to all aircraft registered in India as well as any plane operated, leased or owned by Indian carriers, including military aircraft. The closure covers the entire vertical airspace, from ground level to unlimited altitude, Dawn.com reported.
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Pakistan’s airspace consists of two flight information regions (FIRs), Karachi and Lahore. The new directive applies to both zones, designated as OPKR and OPLR in aviation charts.
The escalation in airspace restrictions dates back to April 24, when Pakistan announced a set of retaliatory measures after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the attack without providing evidence, an accusation Islamabad rejected while calling for an independent investigation. Tensions later led to the fiercest clash between the two nuclear-armed states in decades, during which Pakistan claims to have shot down seven Indian jets.
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India’s aviation industry has been grappling with the mounting financial cost of Pakistani airspace remaining off-limits. Air India, which operates the country’s largest international network, has been pressing New Delhi to seek access to an air corridor in China’s Xinjiang region to shorten long-haul routes that have become significantly longer due to detours.
