International Desk – Pakistan has extended its ongoing airspace ban on all Indian and India-regulated aircraft. According to a fresh directive issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan, the airspace restriction will remain strictly in force until 4:59 AM on July 24. This extended order officially took effect on the afternoon of June 16.
The new directive clarifies that both Indian military and commercial aircraft fall under this ban. Furthermore, foreign-registered aircraft leased or operated by any Indian airline will also be prohibited from utilizing Pakistani airspace.
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors flared in April last year (2025) following a major attack in Pahalgam, located in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Holding Islamabad responsible for the incident, New Delhi announced the suspension of the historic Indus Waters Treaty. In immediate retaliation, Pakistan completely closed its airspace to Indian flights. Pakistan has consistently denied any involvement in the Pahalgam incident, demanding an independent impartial probe.
Following Pakistan’s airspace closure, India also blocked its airspace for Pakistani flights on April 30 last year.
According to Islamabad, the Indian military launched unprovoked airstrikes on several Pakistani cities in early May last year, using the Pahalgam attack as a pretext. In response, the Pakistani Armed Forces launched a massive counter-military operation codenamed “Operation Bunyanum Marsus.”
During that conflict, Pakistan claimed to have shot down eight Indian fighter jets—including three advanced Rafale aircraft—alongside several drones. The intense 87-hour-long military standoff eventually concluded after the United States diplomatically brokered a ceasefire.
Aviation experts note that the prolonged closure of Pakistani airspace has plunged India’s aviation sector into a deep financial crisis.
Indian flights heading to Europe and the Middle East are forced to take significantly longer detour routes, causing fuel consumption and ticket prices to skyrocket. Conversely, the financial impact on Pakistan’s civil aviation sector remains relatively minimal.
Using airspace blockades as a strategic tool is not new for Islamabad. Pakistan previously shut down its airspace to Indian flights during the 1999 Kargil War and the 2019 Pulwama crisis. Past trends show that India’s aviation sector historically suffers much heavier financial damage from these closures than Pakistan’s.