Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian aircraft till September 23 amid tensions

As the tensions between India and Pakistan continue to persist, Islamabad on Wednesday extended its airspace ban on Indian aircraft until September 23. The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) issued a fresh NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) announcing the one-month extension. The NOTAM noted the ban would continue to apply to both Indian civilian and military aircraft.

“All aircraft operated by Indian airlines will not be allowed to use Pakistani airspace. The ban also remains in place for military and civilian aircraft that are Indian-owned or leased,” the Pakistani authority said.

From August 20 to September 23

Pakistan airspace not available for aircraft registered in India and aircraft operated/owned or leased by Indian airlines/operators including military flights.

Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued: pic.twitter.com/avMi14GtxE

— Pakistan Aviation News 🇵🇰 (@avpak3) August 20, 2025

It is pertinent to note that the Pakistani authorities first imposed the closure on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people. The closure was initially in place for one month.

India eventually responded to the ban on April 30 with a reciprocal airspace closure for Pakistani aircraft, starting a series of tit-for-tat restrictions. The ban was first extended on May 23. In July, Pakistan further extended the closure until August 24, affecting hundreds of flights daily.

Pakistan lost 4.1 billion in 2 months due to the closure

Earlier this month, the Pakistani Ministry of Defence informed the country’s National Assembly on Friday that Pakis­tan Airports Authority (PAA) has lost PKR 4.1 billion in just over two months. The loss was attributed to the closure of the airspace to India-registered aircraft due to the diplomatic row.

The Defence Ministry noted that the shortfall from April 24 to June 30 was in overflying revenue and was lower than the reported PKR 8.5 billion, Dawn reported. It is pertinent to note that Pakistan called for the closure of the country’s airspace after India put the Indus Water Treaty into abeyance.

While Pakistan boasted about the measure, the move affected 100 to 150 Indian aircraft flying over Pakistan daily, cutting transit traffic by almost 20 per cent. In 2019, a similar closure led to an estimated Rs7.6 billion ($54 million) revenue loss, compared to $100 million previously reported.