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India Extends Ban on Pakistani Aircraft as Reciprocal Airspace Closures Enter Fifth Month

Imposed after the Pahalgam attack, the month-to-month reciprocal bans are driving longer routes that raise costs for Indian airlines.

Overview

  • India issued a fresh NOTAM on August 22 extending its airspace closure to Pakistan-registered and military aircraft until 05:29 IST on September 24 (23:59 UTC on September 23).
  • Pakistan extended its own prohibition on Indian aircraft via a NOTAM on August 20 for the same period, keeping the mirror restrictions in place for a fifth consecutive month.
  • Cirium data indicate roughly 800 weekly flight legs by Indian carriers now require detours to West Asia, Europe and North America, increasing fuel burn and complicating crew scheduling.
  • Air India has told the government the detours could cost about $600 million on an annualised basis, and IndiGo has suspended DelhiAlmaty and DelhiTashkent due to range constraints.
  • The impact on Pakistan’s airlines is limited, with only about six weekly PIA flights typically overflying India, while third-country carriers can continue to use both countries’ airspace.