Pakistan has once again barred Indian aircraft from its skies, extending a standing ban until September 24. The decision, confirmed in a fresh Notice to Airmen (Notam) from the Pakistan Airports Authority, keeps the country’s airspace off-limits to all Indian-registered planes, including those leased or operated by Indian carriers and military flights.
The latest order takes effect from August 23 at 10:15 a.m. and will stay in place until 4:59 a.m. on September 24, covering both the Karachi and Lahore flight information regions that manage Pakistan’s air traffic.
The closure first began in late April 2025, after a deadly attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam sparked a sharp rise in tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors. India accused Pakistan of backing the assault, a claim Islamabad denied, offering instead a neutral investigation. In response, Pakistan’s military leadership announced immediate measures on April 24, 2025, shutting its airspace to all Indian-owned or operated airlines.
Since then, Islamabad has renewed the ban several times, each extension underscoring the fragile state of ties between the two rivals. The dispute escalated further in May, when Pakistan said it downed seven Indian fighter jets in what it described as the fiercest air battle between the two countries.
For now, the skies above Pakistan remain closed to Indian carriers, leaving airlines to reroute and passengers to face longer journeys as the diplomatic standoff shows no sign of easing.
