 "In a tit-for-tat, India issues fresh Notam to extend ban on Pakistani aircraft till Sept 24")
India on Friday night extended its ban on Pakistani airlines and aircraft from entering Indian airspace by another month, until the early hours of September 24. The fresh notice to airmen (NOTAM) was issued by Indian aviation authorities just two days after Pakistan extended its own ban on Indian carriers for the same period. With this latest move, both countries’ airspace restrictions against each other are now entering their fifth month.
The restrictions were triggered after the Pahalgam terror attack in April, in which Pakistan-based terrorists killed 26 civilians, sharply worsening ties between New Delhi and Islamabad. Pakistan first closed its airspace to Indian aircraft on April 24 for a month, prompting India to respond on April 30 with a reciprocal ban on Pakistani airlines and aircraft. Since then, both nations have been extending the restrictions monthly through NOTAMs. Notably, while Indian and Pakistani carriers are barred from each other’s airspace, flights from other countries remain unaffected.
Pakistan’s latest NOTAM was issued on August 20, just days before its previous ban was set to expire on August 24. Following this, India was expected to extend its restrictions beyond the same date.
India’s new NOTAM mirrors previous ones, except for the updated duration. The airspace will remain closed to Pakistani aircraft, including military flights, until 5:29 am on September 24. Pakistan’s NOTAM also expires at the same time.
The closure has heavily affected Indian carriers. Around 800 weekly flights, mostly from North India to destinations in West Asia, the Caucasus, Europe, the UK, and North America, are now forced to take longer routes. This has extended flight durations—by 15 minutes to several hours depending on the destination—raised fuel consumption, and complicated crew scheduling, driving up operational costs.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsBy contrast, India’s closure has minimal impact on Pakistan. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the country’s struggling national carrier with a limited international footprint, operates only a few weekly flights—around six between Kuala Lumpur and Lahore or Islamabad—that used to cross Indian airspace, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
For Indian airlines, the impact is far more severe. Air India serves destinations across West Asia, Europe, the UK, and North America. IndiGo, flying to West Asia, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, had to suspend its Delhi-Almaty and Delhi-Tashkent flights, as the longer detours exceed the range of its narrow-body aircraft. Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet, primarily flying to West Asia, are also affected.
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