Pakistan has extended the closure of its airspace to Indian airlines and aircraft by another month, with the latest notice to airmen keeping the restriction in force until early January 24. India is expected to reciprocate by extending its own ban on Pakistani airlines, taking the reciprocal airspace restrictions between the two neighbours into their ninth consecutive month.
The fresh NOTAM issued by Pakistan mirrors earlier notices, with the only change being the revised duration. Under the extension, Pakistani airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft and those operated, owned or leased by Indian airlines and operators, including military flights, until 5:29 am India time on December 24.
The airspace restrictions were first imposed in April following a sharp deterioration in relations after the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan initiated the closure on April 24, barring Indian aircraft from overflying its territory. India responded on April 30 with a similar ban on Pakistani aircraft. Since then, both countries have extended the restrictions monthly through successive NOTAMs.
While the bans apply only to each other’s airlines and aircraft, both India and Pakistan continue to allow overflights by carriers from third countries. However, the impact on Indian aviation has been significant, as most Indian airlines operate international services to West Asia, Europe, the UK and North America that previously used Pakistani airspace.
Around 800 weekly flights operated by Indian airlines have been affected, forcing longer routings that increase flight times, fuel consumption and operational complexity. Journeys have been extended by 15 minutes to several hours, depending on the destination, leading to higher costs and challenges in crew and schedule management.
Indian carriers have felt the financial strain more acutely than Pakistan, whose national airline has a limited international footprint. Air India has estimated annualised losses of about INR 4,000 crore due to the closure, while data shows only a handful of Pakistan International Airlines flights were impacted by India’s reciprocal ban, underscoring the asymmetrical impact of the prolonged airspace restrictions.
