New Delhi: India announced the closure of its airspace to all aircraft operated, owned, or leased by Pakistan in a retaliatory step following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
The ban will also apply to all aircraft registered in Pakistan, including commercial and military aircraft. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Wednesday evening, stating that the restriction will come into effect at midnight and will remain in force until May 23.
The decision follows a series of punitive actions initiated by New Delhi against Islamabad in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack. India holds Pakistan-based terror groups responsible for the massacre, which targeted security forces and civilians in the Kashmir Valley. This development comes a week after Pakistan unilaterally shut its airspace for Indian airlines, a move that disrupted several regional routes.
Although there are no direct commercial flights between the two countries, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has traditionally used Indian airspace for long-haul routes to Southeast Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia.
India’s airspace ban is part of a broader diplomatic and economic offensive against Pakistan. On April 23, New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and ordered the shutdown of the only active land border crossing at Attari. Furthermore, India announced the downgrading of diplomatic relations with Pakistan.
In retaliation, Pakistan halted trade with India, including commerce via third countries, and condemned India’s suspension of the water treaty. Islamabad warned that any attempt to block the flow of rivers originating from India into Pakistan would be considered an “act of war.”
The tit-for-tat actions underscore the heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, with cross-border skirmishes and diplomatic rifts widening in the wake of the Pahalgam tragedy.
