According to a fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), all Indian-registered, leased, commercial, and military aircraft will remain barred from entering Pakistan’s airspace until 5am on May 24, 2026.
Pakistan first closed its airspace to Indian flights on April 24, 2025, in response to escalating tensions following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The move came after New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a step Islamabad strongly opposed while rejecting allegations linking it to the attack and calling for an independent investigation.
In retaliation, India also closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30, further deepening the aviation standoff between the two countries.
Tensions escalated further in early May 2025, when India launched strikes on multiple Pakistani cities. In response, Pakistan carried out a large-scale military operation, “Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” targeting Indian military installations. The conflict lasted nearly 87 hours before a ceasefire was brokered with international involvement.
Officials say the airspace closure has caused significant financial losses for Indian airlines, amounting to billions of rupees, while the impact on Pakistan’s aviation sector has remained comparatively limited.
Pakistan has previously implemented similar restrictions during periods of heightened conflict, including the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both of which also resulted in greater disruption to Indian aviation operations.
