Pakistan Airports Authority has extended restrictions on Indian aircraft using Pakistan’s airspace until March 23, according to an official notice issued on Wednesday. The ban applies to all aircraft registered in India, including both civilian and military planes.
Officials said the restrictions cover both major flight information regions of the country, including the Karachi and Lahore airspace zones. The decision was announced through a new Notice to Airmen (Notam), confirming that Indian aircraft will not be allowed to operate in Pakistani airspace during this period.
The airspace closure comes as tensions between Pakistan and India remain high following a deadly attack in Pahalgam in April 2025, where 26 people were killed. India accused Pakistan of involvement, an allegation Islamabad strongly denied while offering a neutral investigation.
Relations worsened further in early May 2025 when the two nuclear-armed neighbours engaged in one of their most serious military confrontations in decades. Pakistani officials claimed that several Indian fighter jets were shot down during the conflict.
The ongoing airspace ban has also caused financial losses for Indian airlines. Reports previously suggested that Air India had approached its government to explore alternative routes, including the possibility of using sensitive airspace over China’s Xinjiang region to shorten flight times and reduce operational costs.
