Islamabad: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) issued a fresh Notice to Airmen (Notam), confirming that Pakistan’s airspace will remain closed to all Indian-registered military and civil aircraft until March 23. The ban, initially imposed on April 23, 2025, continues to prevent Indian aircraft from transiting through Pakistani airspace.
Pakistan first shut its skies to Indian airlines following New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Water Treaty after heightened bilateral tensions triggered by the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). In response to Islamabad’s move, India closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30, further escalating aviation and diplomatic friction.
The standoff intensified in early May 2025 when India launched military strikes on multiple Pakistani cities between May 6 and 7. Pakistan retaliated with a large-scale military response, code-named Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, targeting several Indian military installations across different regions.
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According to Pakistani authorities, seven Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, along with dozens of drones were downed during the conflict. After nearly 87 hours of hostilities, a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States brought the confrontation to an end on May 10.
Similar airspace closures were enforced during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both periods when Indian airlines experienced significant operational disruptions.
