New Delhi: India has extended its airspace ban on Pakistani aircraft until October 23, following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives in Jammu and Kashmir. The decision comes in response to Pakistan’s move to prolong its own restrictions on Indian flights until the same date.
While international airlines remain unaffected and continue to access both nations’ skies, the closure of Pakistan’s airspace has forced flights from northern Indian airports to take longer alternate routes, leading to higher travel time and operational costs.
Pakistan initially shut its airspace on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam attack, and India retaliated on April 30 by blocking Pakistani flights. The standoff escalated further after India revoked the Indus Waters Treaty, deepening the diplomatic rift between the two neighbors.
With both countries refusing to lift restrictions, the aviation deadlock looks set to continue well into October, underscoring the strain in Indo-Pak relations.
