Indian airlines barred from using Pakistani airspace until Nov 24 as ban extended

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>Pakistan has extended its airspace ban for Indian aircraft for another month, until Nov 24, according to a Notice to Airmen (Notam) issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA).</p> <p>The previous extension of the ban was set to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2023856"><u>expire</u></a> on Oct 24.</p> <p>“Pakistan airspace not available for Indian registered aircraft and aircraft operated/owned or leased by Indian airlines/operators, including military flights,” the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://blob:https://paa.gov.pk/36aa0cee-d019-44b1-87a6-a4b6bf677c36"><u>Notam</u></a> said.</p> <p>According to the notice, the extension came into effect at 7:45pm on Saturday and will remain until 04:59am on Nov 24, 2026.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media--center media--uneven media--stretch' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2026/10/172243250902fd7.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2026/10/172243250902fd7.webp' alt='' /></picture></div> </figure> <p>The country’s airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs) — Karachi and Lahore, according to a Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link--external" href="https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/safety/GASP/GASP%20Library/National%20aviation%20safety%20plans/Pakistan-NASP-2022-2024.pdf"><u>document</u></a> from 2022.</p> <p>Saturday’s Notam applies to both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) FIRs.</p> <p>India and Pakistan <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1912849"><u>closed their airspaces</u></a> to each other’s airlines in late April 2025, when tensions between them <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1906075"><u>escalated</u></a> in the wake of a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1905917/at-least-24-killed-in-occupied-kashmir-gunmen-attack-on-tourists-police-source"><u>deadly attack</u></a> in India-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam.</p> <p>On April 24, Pakistan’s top brass had announced a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1906284"><u>series of measures</u></a>, including the closure of its airspace to all India-owned or Indian-operated airlines with immediate effect, as it retaliated against New Delhi’s slew of <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1906075/pahalgam-attack-india-suspends-indus-waters-treaty-with-immediate-effect-closes-attari-border-crossing"><u>aggressive measures</u></a> against the country.</p> <p>New Delhi, without evidence, had alleged that Islamabad backed the Pahalgam attack. However, Pakistan had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1906315"><u>strongly denied</u></a> any involvement and offered a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1906694/pm-shehbaz-says-pakistan-open-to-neutral-transparent-probe-into-pahalgam-attack"><u>neutral probe</u></a>. The nuclear powers had the fiercest <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1911123"><u>air battle</u></a> in May, in which Pakistan said it <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1908824"><u>downed</u></a> <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1947213#:~:text=raised%20its%20tally%20of%20Indian%20aircraft%20shot%20down%20to%20seven"><u>seven</u></a> Indian fighter jets.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-1/2 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.dawn.com/news/1951976/airspace-constraints-a-challenge-to-air-indias-on-time-performance-says-ceo'> <div class='media__item media__item--newskitlink '> <iframe class="nk-iframe" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:250px;position:relative" src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1951976" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div> </figure> <p>Since then, Pakistan has extended the airspace ban several times, forcing Indian carriers <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2026163#:~:text=Indian%20carriers%20have%20faced%20the%20closure%20of%20Pakistani%20airspace%20since%20tensions%20between%20New%20Delhi%20and%20Islamabad%20escalated%20last%20year%2C%20forcing%20longer%20and%20costlier%20routes."><u>to use</u></a> longer and costlier routes.</p> <p>For Air India, the country’s only carrier with a major international network, fuel costs rose by <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1956019"><u>as much as 29 per cent</u></a> and journey times by up to three hours on some long-haul routes, according to a document submitted to Indian officials last October.</p> <p>The airline, owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, estimated the Pakistan airspace closure’s impact on its profit before tax at $455 million annually — a significant amount given its fiscal 2024-25 loss stood at $439m.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.