ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has extended its ban on Indian-registered aircraft from using its airspace for another month, keeping the restriction in place until February 24, 2026, according to a Notice to Airmen (Notam) issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Tuesday.
Under the latest Notam, the ban will remain effective from January 25, 2025, through February 24, 2026, until 5am (PST). The restriction applies to all Indian-owned, operated, and leased aircraft, including military flights.
The PAA said the move is an extension of an existing restriction that has been in force for the past nine months.
Pakistan initially closed its airspace to Indian airlines in a reciprocal move after New Delhi suspended the Indus Water Treaty, amid escalating tensions following the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In response to Pakistan’s decision, India shut its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30, while Pakistan extended its original ban on May 23 for an additional month.
Tensions further escalated on May 6–7, when India carried out unprovoked attacks on multiple Pakistani cities. Pakistan’s armed forces responded with a large-scale retaliatory operation, “Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” targeting several Indian military installations across different regions.
During the conflict, Pakistan downed seven Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, along with dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours of hostilities, the standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbors ended on May 10 with a US-brokered ceasefire.
While India’s aviation sector has suffered significant losses, the impact on Pakistan’s aviation industry has remained limited.
This is not the first time Pakistan has imposed such restrictions. Similar airspace closures were enforced during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both of which caused greater disruption to Indian aviation than to Pakistan’s.
