The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has extended airspace restrictions on Indian aircraft until December 24, according to a recent NOTAM. The ban began at 2:50pm Pakistan time on November 19 and will continue until 4:59am on December 24.
The closure affects all India-registered aircraft, including planes owned, operated, or leased by Indian airlines, as well as military flights. It covers all altitudes and applies across Pakistan’s Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) Flight Information Regions.
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India and Pakistan have barred each other’s carriers since April, after an attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 26 people. Pakistan had previously extended the restriction until November 24, and the new extension comes just days before that deadline.
The airspace closure has hit Indian carriers hard. Air India reported fuel costs rising by up to 29 percent and flight times increasing by up to three hours on some routes. The airline is lobbying the Indian government to secure Chinese permission to use Xinjiang airspace for shorter routes.
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Air India estimates the ban will cost the carrier roughly $455 million annually, exceeding its fiscal 2024-25 loss of $439 million. Analysts warn continued restrictions could further disrupt regional aviation and trade.