Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian aircraft until January 24

• No Indian airlines allowed to enter Pakistan airspace.
• Pakistan first imposed airspace ban on April 24, 2025.
• Restriction to remain in effect from Dec 16 to Jan 24.
  

Pakistan has extended the closure of its airspace for Indian aircraft for another month until January 24, 2026, according to a Notam (notice to airmen) issued by Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Wednesday.

According to the new Notam, the restriction will remain in effect from December 16, 2025, to January 24, 2026 (PST). The ban applies to all Indian-owned, operated and leased aircraft, including military flights.

The PAA said the decision continues an existing restriction that has already been in place for the past eight months. 

Pakistan closed its airspace for Indian airlines in a tit-for-tat move after New Delhi suspended the critical Indus Water Treaty amid heightened bilateral tensions following the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Following Pakistan’s decision, India shut its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30. Pakistan’s initial restriction was extended on May 23 for another month.

The latest extension brings the total duration of Pakistan’s airspace closure for Indian aircraft to 210 days.

On May 6-7, India launched unprovoked attacks on multiple Pakistani cities.

In response, Pakistan’s armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action, named “Operation Bunyanum Marsoos”, and targeted several Indian military targets across multiple regions.

Pakistan downed seven Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.

While India’s aviation industry has faced heavy losses, the impact on Pakistani aviation has been minimal.

This is not the first time Pakistan has imposed such restrictions. Airspace closures were previously enacted during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both instances in which India faced greater aviation disruptions than Pakistan.