Pakistan Extends Airspace Ban on Indian Aircraft Till December 24; India Expected to Issue Reciprocal Notice Soon

Pakistan has extended its airspace closure for Indian airlines and aircraft by another month, continuing a reciprocal standoff that has now entered its eighth consecutive month. A fresh NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) issued by Pakistan’s aviation authorities states that the ban will remain in effect until 05:29 AM IST on December 24. India is expected to issue a matching NOTAM shortly, extending its own ban on Pakistani aircraft for the same duration.

How the Airspace Conflict Began
The mutual restrictions began after the April Pahalgam terror attack, which severely strained India–Pakistan relations. Pakistan first closed its airspace to Indian aircraft on April 24, initially for one month. India responded on April 30, banning Pakistani aircraft and airlines from entering Indian airspace.

Since then, both nations have been extending the restrictions month by month, even though their skies remain open to all other international airlines.

Impact on Indian Airlines: 800 Flights a Week Affected
The closure of Pakistani airspace has severely disrupted flight operations for Indian carriers—especially those flying from northern India to Europe, West Asia, the Caucasus, Turkey, and North America.

Key impacts include:

• ~800 weekly flights affected
  (~400 westbound departures + return flights)
• Longer flight times
  Delays range from 15 minutes to several hours, depending on the destination.
• Higher fuel consumption
  Longer routes mean significantly higher operational fuel costs.
• Crew scheduling complications
  Longer routes disrupt duty hours and require additional planning.

Air India is reportedly lobbying the Indian government to negotiate with China for access to the sensitive military airspace over Xinjiang to shorten its European and US routes. The carrier estimates losses of ₹4,000 crore annually due to longer routes caused by Pakistan’s closure.

Limited Impact on Pakistan
While Indian carriers face massive operational disruptions, the impact on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is minimal:

• Only 6 PIA flights per week—mainly between Kuala Lumpur and Lahore/Islamabad—used Indian airspace before the ban.
• PIA already has a small international footprint and is currently struggling financially.

In contrast, Indian airlines have rapidly expanding global networks and depend heavily on westbound routes that typically transit Pakistan.

Airlines Most Affected

• Air India: long-haul flights to Europe, UK, and North America
• IndiGo: routes to West Asia, Central Asia, Turkey, and the Caucasus
• Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air: primarily West Asia routes

Because of the restrictions, IndiGo had to suspend flights to Almaty and Tashkent, as the alternate routes exceed the range of its narrow-body aircraft.

Financial Toll Mirrors 2019 Crisis
In 2019, when Pakistan closed its airspace for over four months, Indian airlines collectively lost around ₹700 crore. The current situation is likely to result in far higher losses due to:

• increased number of international routes
• larger fleets
• costlier fuel
• Air India’s ongoing expansion into long-haul markets