Pakistan has extended its ban on Indian airlines and aircraft from using its airspace by another month, pushing the restriction till February 24, according to a fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the country’s aviation authorities. India is expected to issue a reciprocal extension shortly, taking the mutual airspace restrictions between the two neighbours into their tenth consecutive month.
The latest NOTAM issued by Pakistan largely mirrors previous notices, with the only change being the revised duration. Under the directive, Pakistani airspace will remain closed to all Indian-registered aircraft, as well as planes owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines and operators, including military flights, until 5.29 am Indian Standard Time on February 24.
Rising costs and longer routes for Indian carriers
The continued closure is having significant financial and operational consequences for Indian airlines. During a similar four-month shutdown of Pakistani airspace in 2019, Indian carriers collectively suffered losses estimated at around ₹700 crore, largely due to higher fuel consumption and longer flight paths. Air India was the worst affected at the time because of its extensive westbound international network and ultra-long-haul flights to North America.
Since then, the impact has widened as more Indian airlines have expanded internationally. IndiGo, in particular, has built a sizeable overseas network using narrow-body aircraft, including services to West Asia, Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Turkey. The airline is currently the only Indian carrier operating flights to Central Asian and Caucasus destinations.
Diplomatic tensions keep skies shut
Pakistan first shut its airspace to Indian aircraft on April 24 last year following a deterioration in bilateral ties after the Pahalgam terror attack. India responded six days later by barring Pakistani aircraft from its airspace. Since then, both countries have extended the restrictions on a month-by-month basis, while allowing aircraft from other nations to overfly their territories.
Indian aviation authorities are expected to issue a fresh NOTAM before January 24, when the current Indian ban on Pakistani aircraft is due to expire.
The closure has disrupted around 800 weekly flights operated by Indian airlines, primarily on routes connecting North India with West Asia, Europe, the UK, the Caucasus, and eastern North America. Airlines have been forced to take longer detours, adding between 15 minutes and several hours to flight durations depending on the destination. This has resulted in higher fuel burn, complex crew scheduling, and increased operational costs. Tata group-owned Air India estimates the annualised financial impact of the closure at nearly ₹4,000 crore.
In contrast, Pakistan has felt minimal impact from India’s reciprocal ban. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the country’s flag carrier, has a limited global footprint and is currently under financial stress. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows that before the restrictions, only about six PIA flights per week—operating between Kuala Lumpur and Lahore or Islamabad—regularly passed through Indian airspace.
For Indian airlines, however, the disruption is far more severe. All major carriers operate westbound international flights that previously relied on Pakistani airspace. While Air India serves destinations across West Asia, Europe, the UK, and North America, IndiGo operates to West Asia, Europe, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. The prolonged closure has already forced IndiGo to suspend its Delhi–Almaty and Delhi–Tashkent services, as the alternative routes exceed the operational range of its narrow-body fleet. Other Indian airlines, including Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet, which largely focus on West Asian routes, are also grappling with higher costs due to the extended detours.