Pakistan to keep its airspace closed for Indian flights for another month: Report

Islamabad will continue to keep its airspace closed for Indian flights for one more month, according to media reports. Pakistan banned Indian flights from its airspace last month in response to punitive measures taken by New Delhi in the aftermath of April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

The initial ban was introduced for a month by Pakistan, scheduled to end on May 23. It is to be noted that no country can close its airspace for any nation for more than a month at a time under International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rules.

Pakistan’s Geo news reported that the decision to extend the ban was expected to be announced on Wednesday or Thursday (May 21-22).

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

This was in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists.

India accused Pakistan of supporting the attack, which Pakistan denied.

On May 10, India struck eight Pakistani military installations after Pakistan attempted to target Indian military bases, prompting Pakistan to request a halt to the conflict.

Pakistan has a history of closing its airspace to Indian flights during conflicts, as seen in the 1999 Kargil War and the 2019 Pulwama crisis.

India’s tit-for-tat move

Following Pakistan’s decision to close its airspace for Indian flights, New Delhi also took a similar decision last month, barring Pakistan-registered airlines, including military planes of that country, from its airspace effective midnight of April 30.

It was not clear whether India would also extend the ban on Pakistani flights or not.

Notably, Pakistan’s ban has disrupted flights from North India to destinations in Central Asia, the Caucasus, West Asia, Europe, the UK, and North America.

With the longer flight paths, airlines now require more fuel, which has led to increased costs and challenges with payload management.

Earlier, a senior travel industry executive estimated that airfares for international flights with Indian carriers could rise by 8–12 per cent due to the airspace closure.