Pakistan has extended the Pakistan India airspace ban until 5am on 27 November, keeping Indian aircraft out of Pakistani skies under a fresh Notice to Airmen. The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), which manages civil airports and related flight notices, issued the Notam on Saturday. A PAA spokesperson said the new notice runs until that early-morning deadline.
The measure applies to Indian aircraft using Pakistani airspace. It continues a restriction first imposed on 23 April 2025 and left in place through successive extensions.
Why the ban was imposed
Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian aircraft amid sharp tensions with India after the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of involvement. Islamabad denied the charge and called for an independent, transparent investigation.
India answered Pakistan’s move by closing its airspace to Pakistani airlines on 30 April 2025. Fighting intensified when India struck several Pakistani cities on 6 and 7 May 2025. Pakistan said it replied with Operation Bunyanum Marsoos against multiple Indian military sites. During the clash, Pakistan said it had shot down eight Indian fighter aircraft, including three Rafale jets, and dozens of drones. Hostilities lasted nearly 87 hours before a US-brokered ceasefire on 10 May 2025.
What the latest Notam changes
The latest step does not lift the Pakistan India airspace ban; it only resets how long it lasts. Indian airlines still cannot overfly Pakistan under the PAA notice. Pakistani carriers remain shut out of Indian airspace under India’s reciprocal decision from late April 2025, unless New Delhi changes that policy separately.
A Notice to Airmen, or Notam, is a formal aviation alert that tells airlines and crews about restrictions and hazards. For schedulers, the practical meaning is that routes planned through Pakistani airspace stay unavailable to Indian aircraft until at least 5am on 27 November.
Impact on carriers so far
Reports say the airspace limits have weighed more heavily on India’s aviation sector than on Pakistan’s, where disruption has been comparatively limited. Pakistan has used similar bans before, including during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, and those episodes also created greater operational strain for Indian airlines than for Pakistani ones.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 23 April 2025: Pakistan first bars Indian aircraft from its airspace after the Pahalgam attack and rising tensions.
- 30 April 2025: India closes its airspace to Pakistani airlines.
- 6–7 May 2025: India strikes several Pakistani cities; Pakistan says it launches Operation Bunyanum Marsoos in response.
- During the confrontation: Pakistan says it downs eight Indian fighters, including three Rafales, and dozens of drones; fighting lasts nearly 87 hours.
- 10 May 2025: A US-brokered ceasefire takes hold between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
- Saturday (latest Notam): PAA extends the ban on Indian aircraft until 5am on 27 November.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan ne Bharati tayaron par apni hawa band karne ki pabandi 27 November subah 5 baje tak barha di hai. Yeh order Pakistan Airports Authority ke Notam se aaya hai. Iska matlab yeh hai ke Indian airlines ab bhi Pakistan ke upar se udaan nahi bhar sakti. Aam musafir ke liye seedha asar yeh hai ke dono mulkon ke darmiyan seedhi hawai rahen pehle jaisi hi mehdood rehti hain, jab tak yeh pabandiyan khatam na hon.
