KARACHI: Pakistan has prolonged its airspace ban on Indian aircraft for another month, taking the restrictions close to the 10-month mark.
In this regard, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has issued a fresh Notice to Airmen (Notam). According to the new Notam, Pakistan's airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft until March 23.
All Indian-registered military and civil aircraft will not be permitted to transit through Pakistan's airspace during this period. Pakistan has kept its airspace closed to Indian aircraft since April 23, 2025.
Pakistan closed its airspace for Indian airlines in a tit-for-tat move after New Delhi suspended the critical Indus Water Treaty amid heightened bilateral tensions following the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Following Pakistan's decision, India also shut its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30.
On May 6-7, 2025, India launched unprovoked attacks on multiple Pakistani cities.
In response, Pakistan's armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action, named "Operation Bunyanum Marsoos", and targeted several Indian military targets across multiple regions.
Pakistan downed seven Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
While India's aviation industry has faced heavy losses, the impact on Pakistani aviation has been minimal.
This is not the first time Pakistan has imposed such restrictions. Airspace closures were previously enacted during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both instances in which India faced greater aviation disruptions than Pakistan.
