Pakistan extends airspace closure for India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended the closure of its airspace for civilian and military aircraft from India, pushing the restriction forward until 23 December, according to a new NOTAM issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority.

The airspace ban, initially imposed on 23 April 2025, remains fully in place for all Indian passenger and military flights. Officials said the latest extension follows a routine review of the regional security environment.

Pakistan’s continued airspace closure has caused significant financial losses to Indian airlines, which have been forced to reroute flights over longer paths since April. Industry estimates suggest the detours have cost Indian carriers billions of rupees in additional fuel and operational expenses.

The closure will stay effective until further notice.

Earlier, Air India was lobbying the Indian government to convince China to let it use a sensitive military airspace zone in Xinjiang to shorten routes as the financial toll from a ban on Indian carriers flying over Pakistan mounts, a company document shows.

The unusual request comes just weeks after direct India-China flights resumed after a five-year hiatus following a Himalayan border clash between the nations.

Air India has been seeking to rebuild its reputation and international network after a London-bound Boeing (BA.N) 787 Dreamliner crashed in Gujarat in June, killing 260 people and forcing it to briefly cut flights for safety checks.
But that effort is being complicated by the closure of Pakistan airspace to Indian carriers since diplomatic tensions erupted in late April.

For Air India, the country’s only carrier with a major international network, fuel costs have risen by as much as 29% and journey times by up to three hours on some long-haul routes, according to the previously unreported document submitted to Indian officials in late October and reviewed by Reuters.

The Indian government is reviewing Air India’s plea to diplomatically ask China to allow an alternative routing and emergency access to airports in case of diversions at Hotan, Kashgar and Urumqi in Xinjiang, aiming to reach U.S., Canada and Europe faster, the document said.

“Air India’s long-haul network is under severe operational and financial strain … Securing Hotan route will be a strategic option,” it added.

The airline, owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), estimated the Pakistan airspace closure’s impact on its profit before tax at $455 million annually – a significant amount given its fiscal 2024-25 loss stood at $439 million.

The Chinese foreign ministry said it was not aware of the situation and referred Reuters to the “relevant authorities”.

Air India and civil aviation authorities in India, China and Pakistan did not respond to Reuters’ queries.