Pakistan extends airspace closure for Indian carriers until January 23,
Key Points
- 1Pakistan extended the airspace closure for Indian carriers until January 23, continuing the reciprocal restrictions first imposed following tensions in April.
- 2The ongoing ban affects approximately 800 weekly flights operated by Indian airlines traveling from North India to destinations across Europe and North America.
- 3Flight diversions have increased journey times by 15 minutes to several hours, significantly raising operational costs due to higher fuel burn and scheduling complexity.
Pakistan's aviation authorities have extended the closure of their national airspace to Indian airlines and aircraft until January 23, according to a fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). This restriction continues a ban first implemented on April 24, following heightened bilateral tensions after the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. India maintains a reciprocal ban on Pakistani-registered aircraft, with both restrictions being periodically renewed since their initial imposition. Both airspaces, however, remain open to overflights by airlines registered in other countries.
The prolonged denial of overflight rights has severely disrupted commercial flight operations, particularly for carriers flying from North India. Approximately 800 weekly flights destined for West Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, and eastern North America have been forced to adopt significantly longer, circuitous routes. These diversions add anywhere between 15 minutes and several hours to journey times, depending on the final destination.
The requirement to fly longer routes directly translates into higher operational expenditure for Indian airlines. Increased fuel consumption, coupled with greater complexity in managing crew duty times and flight scheduling, has raised operational costs substantially for the affected carriers.
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