Pakistan keeps airspace closed to Indian airlines until year-end

Dubai: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has issued a notice to airmen (Notam) extending the ban on Indian aircraft in Pakistani airspace until December 24, officials confirmed Thursday.

The extension comes just four days before the previous restriction was due to expire.

India and Pakistan have kept their airspaces closed to each other’s airlines since tensions escalated in late April following a deadly attack in Pahalgam, India. Pakistan last extended the ban in mid-October, setting its expiry for November 24.

The latest Notam, effective from 2:50pm Pakistan time on November 19 until 4:59am on December 24, applies to all Indian-registered aircraft as well as planes owned, operated, or leased by Indian Airlines, including military flights. The closure covers all altitudes within both Pakistan flight information regions (FIRs) Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR).

The ban has had a significant financial impact on Indian carriers. Air India, India’s largest international airline, is reportedly lobbying the government to gain access to China’s Xinjiang airspace to shorten rerouted flights. The airline has seen fuel costs rise by up to 29% and travel times increase by as much as three hours on some routes. It estimates the closure has cost around $455 million in potential annual profit, exceeding its reported fiscal 2024—25 loss of $439 million, Dawn news reported.

Other Indian carriers, including IndiGo, are also facing higher operational costs and longer journeys due to rerouted flights. Meanwhile, the PAA reported a shortfall of Rs4.1 billion in August, just over two months after restricting Indian aircraft.