Pakistan Extends Ban on Indian Aircraft Over Its Airspace
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has prolonged its ban on Indian aircraft, extending restrictions through October 24, the Pakistan Aviation Authority (PAA) announced Friday.
The measure, first imposed in April after a surge in hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, blocks Indian-registered aircraft — whether owned, leased, or operated by Indian carriers — from entering Pakistani airspace. The ban applies to both civilian and military flights, according to a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued this week.
“The ban will come into effect from 1:00 p.m. on September 19, 2025, and will last until 4:59 a.m. on October 24,” PAA spokesperson Saifullah Khan confirmed. The closure, he added, covers “all altitudes from ground level to unlimited.”
The restrictions trace back to April’s deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam region, which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad without presenting evidence. Pakistan vehemently denied involvement, calling for an independent probe. As tensions escalated into a near-military standoff, Washington intervened to mediate a ceasefire.
In response to India’s accusations and subsequent “aggressive measures,” Pakistan’s military leadership swiftly announced retaliatory steps, including the closure of its skies to Indian flights.
Although both sides briefly reopened airspace after the ceasefire on May 10, repeated clashes in the following weeks prompted renewed closures. Since then, Pakistan has extended the ban in rolling increments, most recently until September 25.
The latest extension underscores the fragile state of relations between the two rivals, whose airspace battles have become a potent symbol of their unresolved disputes and mutual distrust.
