In a sturdy retaliatory move, india has issued a notice to Airmen (NOTAM) restricting its airspace to all aircraft registered, operated, or leased by way of Pakistan—together with commercial airlines and army flights.
From april 30 to May 23, 2025.
The airspace ban is seen as a tit-for-tat response amid growing tensions following the lethal pahalgam terror assault that left 26 humans dead.
The circle significantly escalates the diplomatic and operational standoff among the two neighbors. Pakistani carriers, consisting of the countrywide airline pakistan International Airways (PIA), will now be compelled to reroute flights to Southeast Asian and far eastern destinations via longer paths through Chinese or Sri Lankan airspace.
This limit is expected to motive principal disruptions in schedules , growth flight intervals, and cause significantly better operating expenses for PIA.
Aviation specialists estimate that many PIA flights could be extended by one to two hours, depending on their vacation spot. The delivered tour time would require more fuel, longer crew duty periods, and probably even pressure PIA to reschedule or lessen the frequency of certain services.
The airline, which operates a modest fleet of 32 aircraft, is already under pressure, and the closure of indian airspace could stress its operations further. In assessment, India's largest airline, indigo, has a fleet of 372 aircraft, even as air india operates over 200, with more on order.
The brutal attack, which left 26 people useless, has sparked outrage across india and triggered a series of tough measures in opposition to pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, revocation of Pakistani visas, and diplomatic downgrades.
The Pakistani plane had already begun warding off indian airspace voluntarily, reportedly because of fears of viable retaliation after the assault. However, with the formal NOTAM now in place, Pakistan's airways will have no option but to fly longer and greater pricey routes.
Pakistan had formerly shut its airspace to indian flights in 2019 after the Balakot airstrike, which was performed with the aid of india in retaliation for the Pulwama terror assault that killed forty-six security employees.
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