Now, India retaliates, closes airspace for Pak airlines, aircraft

Lately, the tensions between the two countries are on the rise after India took diplomatic and other measures against Pakistan following a deadly terrorist attack that took place in Kashmir’s Pahalgam
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AKHTAR SOOMRO

In a tit-for-tat move, India closed its airspace for Pakistan-registered airlines as well as aircraft, effective from May 1, 2025.

The move comes a few days after Pakistan decided to close its airspace for India-registered aircraft and airlines.

India issues NOTAM

On late Wednesday night, India issued a ‘Notice to Airmen’ (NOTAM) declaring that its airspace is being closed for Pakistan-registered airlines and aircraft, including military flights, from May 1 until May 23.

Lately, the tensions between the two countries are on the rise after India took diplomatic and other measures against Pakistan following a deadly terrorist attack that took place in Kashmir’s Pahalgam. 

Airline industry insiders told businessline that just like Pakistan is a vital airspace for our westbound flights from northern cities, similarly, Indian airspace is vital for their flights to destinations in other SAARC nations and South-east Asian countries.

Feedback sought

Meanwhile, to effectively counter Pakistan’s move, the Centre has sought domestic airlines’ feedback on the operational impact they might face due to the closure of western airspace.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has sought details on airlines’ plans to mitigate the impact and not hamper passenger comfort or movement in any way.

Until now, the closure of Pakistan’s airspace has forced airlines to reroute, thereby extending travel time and necessitating technical stopovers.

Recently, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said that MoCA has held the first round of deliberations with the airline industry and now awaits further feedback from them.

“We did one round of discussion; we are trying to gather their feedback, and our whole interest is that whatever decision (to mitigate the impact of Pakistan’s decision to close airspace) has been taken shouldn’t affect passengers,” Naidu said.

“We are assessing how the impact is going to be and then with the feedback from the airlines, will see what the government can do about it,” the minister said.

He added that more deliberations will be held with airlines to tackle the issue.

businessline was the first to report that airlines in India have started to implement strategies to cut their losses.

These manoeuvres evolved during 2019 when Pakistan’s airspace was closed for a few months in the aftermath of the Balakot airstrikes by the Indian Air Force.

The measures entail creating technical stops, clubbing flights, and using alternative facilities such as the newly renovated Ahmedabad airport, Bengaluru airport, and the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport.

Accordingly, flights from North India to the US and Europe have been diverted over Mumbai and then northwards over the Arabian Sea through the United Arab Emirates’ airspace.

Published on May 1, 2025