KARACHI
\nPakistan has extended its ban on Indian aircraft using its airspace until August 24, 2026, the Pakistan Airports Authority announced on Saturday.
\nThe PAA issued a new Notice to Airmen on the government\u2019s directives, extending the restriction which has been in place since April 23, 2025. The ban applies to all Indian-registered aircraft, Indian airlines and aircraft leased by Indian operators.
\nThe airspace restriction, which was set to expire at 4:59am on July 24, was previously extended in May 2026 \u2014 a move that has resulted in losses amounting to billions of rupees for Indian airlines.
\nThe latest Notam formally extends the existing restrictions for another month until August 24, 2026.
\nPakistan barred Indian airlines from using its airspace in April last year after New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
\nIndia accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, an allegation Islamabad has firmly denied while calling for an independent and transparent investigation.
\nIn response to Pakistan\u2019s decision, India closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30 last year.
\nTensions escalated further when India launched strikes on several Pakistani cities on May 6 and 7, 2025. Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, targeting multiple Indian military installations in a large-scale retaliatory operation.
\nDuring the confrontation, Pakistan shot down eight Indian fighter aircraft, including three Rafale jets, along with dozens of drones. The hostilities lasted nearly 87 hours before both nuclear-armed neighbours agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.
\nThe airspace restrictions have had a far greater financial impact on India\u2019s aviation sector, while Pakistan\u2019s aviation industry has experienced comparatively limited disruption.
\nPakistan has imposed similar airspace restrictions in the past, including during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, episodes that also caused greater operational challenges for Indian airlines than for Pakistani carriers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KARACHI Pakistan has extended its ban on Indian aircraft using its airspace until August 24, 2026, the Pakistan Airports Authority announced on Saturday. The PAA issued a new Notice to Airmen on the government\u2019s directives, extending the restriction which has been in place since April 23, 2025. The ban applies to all Indian-registered aircraft, Indian […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-557002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n