Pak ban on Indian airlines, aircraft using its airspace extended; India likely to reciprocate
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Pakistan on Wednesday extended its airspace ban for Indian aircraft by another month till January 23. Pakistan closed its airspace to India's airlines in April after the Pahalgam attack. India too has imposed a similar ban on Pakistan.
The previous extension was set to expire on December 24 but the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) extended the restrictions on Wednesday till January 23.
“Pakistan airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft, including all aircraft owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines, as well as Indian military flights,” the PAA said, PTI reported.
According to the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), the restriction, which has already been in force, “will continue until January 23, 2026, as per the specified timings.” Pakistan's airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) document from 2022.
A terror attack in April in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people led to a four-day conflict in May between India and Pakistan, Islamabad has several times extended its ban on Indian airlines flying over its airspace. India too has imposed a similar ban on Pakistan.
Around 800 weekly flights operated by Indian carriers have been impacted by Pakistan’s decision to shut its airspace, forcing airlines to reroute services from north India to destinations in West Asia, the Caucasus, Europe, the UK and eastern North America, according to industry sources, Indian Express reported.
They said the diversions have resulted in longer flying times, ranging from about 15 minutes to several hours depending on the route, along with higher fuel consumption and added complexity in crew and flight scheduling, all of which have driven up operating costs.
Sources said Air India has internally assessed that the continued closure of Pakistani airspace could translate into an annualised financial hit of roughly ₹4,000 crore.
Industry executives pointed out that the reciprocal impact on Pakistan has been minimal, as Pakistan International Airlines has a relatively small international network and is already under financial stress, unlike India’s rapidly expanding aviation market.
They noted that all major Indian airlines operate international flights to destinations west of the country, many of which earlier passed through Pakistani airspace despite not serving any Pakistani cities. Air India connects destinations across West Asia, Europe, the UK and North America, while IndiGo flies to West Asia, Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia and has recently launched services to Europe. Following the airspace closure, IndiGo suspended its Delhi–Almaty and Delhi–Tashkent flights, as the longer detours pushed these routes beyond the operational limits of its narrow-body aircraft. Other carriers such as Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet also operate international services, largely focused on West Asia.
Officials said the financial consequences for Indian airlines could be significant, recalling that during a similar closure of Pakistani airspace for more than four months in 2019, Indian carriers were estimated to have suffered combined losses of about ₹700 crore. Those losses were largely attributed to higher fuel costs and operational challenges arising from extended flight paths, with Air India being the most affected carrier at the time.