Pakistan has once again extended its ban on Indian aircraft using its airspace. The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) announced the extension in a fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). Geo News reported the development.
According to the new NOTAM, the ban, effective from August 18, will remain in force until 4:59 a.m. Pakistan Standard Time on September 24. The restriction applies to all India-registered aircraft, aircraft operated by Indian airlines, aircraft leased by India, and civil and military aircraft owned or operated by Indian nationals.
Pakistan first closed its airspace to Indian aircraft on April 23, 2025. The latest NOTAM is the 16th issued to extend the ban. Tensions between the two countries escalated sharply after a deadly attack in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, in April 2025.
India accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack. Islamabad strongly denied the allegation and demanded an independent, transparent investigation into the incident. India then announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty on April 23, 2025, prompting Pakistan to close its airspace to Indian flights. In retaliation, India also closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30.
The situation escalated further on May 6 and 7, 2025, when India carried out air strikes on several Pakistani cities. In response, Pakistan launched a large-scale counteroffensive named “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos,” claiming to have struck multiple Indian military installations.
Pakistan claims that in the clash, it shot down eight Indian fighter jets — including three Rafale jets — along with several dozen drones. After roughly 87 hours of conflict, the two nuclear-armed countries agreed to a US-mediated ceasefire on May 10.
The mutual airspace closure has caused comparatively greater financial losses for India’s aviation sector, while the impact on Pakistan’s aviation sector has been relatively limited.
Pakistan imposed similar airspace restrictions during the 1999 Kargil war and the 2019 Pulwama crisis. In those episodes as well, Indian airlines faced greater operational difficulties compared with Pakistani carriers.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report