Pakistan Extends Airspace Ban For Indian Aircrafts Till May 24

Last Updated:April 21, 2026, 16:50 IST

Pakistan extends its airspace ban on Indian aircraft to May 24 covering Karachi and Lahore regions after the Pahalgam attack.

The Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) on Tuesday extended its airspace ban for Indian aircraft till May 24.

“Pakistani airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered aircraft, or Indian airlines/operators (including military flights)," a PAA Notice to Airmen (Notam) said. “This ban will now be effective till May 24, 2026 at 4:59am."

The restriction covers both the Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) flight information regions (FIR).

The previous extension was set to expire on April 24. The initial ban was imposed on April 23 in 2025, lasting one month.

Pakistan had closed its airspace to all Indian aircraft in April after the Pahalgam attack. India too has imposed a similar ban on Pakistan and is likely to reciprocate to the fresh ‘notice to airmen’ (NOTAM) issued by the neighbouring country on Wednesday.

The Pahalgam terror attack in April, which claimed 26 lives, and the subsequent four-day ‘Operation Sindoor’ in May intensified tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. Reciprocal airspace bans have been enforced monthly via subsequent NOTAMs and, with this latest extension by Pakistan, India is widely anticipated to reciprocate by extending its own ban on Pakistani carriers for a similar timeframe.

These airspace restrictions affect approximately 800 weekly flights operated by Indian airline operators, including both outward and return legs, as per reports. These typically west-bound flights serve destinations including West Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, the Caucasus, and eastern North America from key north Indian airports like Delhi, Amritsar, and Jaipur.

News world Pakistan Extends Airspace Ban For Indian Aircrafts Till May 24

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