As news reports started trickling in of the Pakistani airspace closure for Indian-registered aircraft, there were discussions on social media and comments being made, except for an official confirmation, which did not come for a while. Even as various reports started indicating the airspace closure, Indian-registered aircraft across airlines continued to overfly Pakistan, especially those originating from Delhi or other northern airports until an IndiGo aircraft from Sharjah to Amritsar turned around to avoid the Pakistani airspace and took a longer route. The NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) was released in due course. The closure of the airspace is currently for a month, ending on May 24, 2025, at 0530 hours Indian Standard Time.
The NOTAM states that Pakistani airspace will not be available for Indian-registered aircraft and aircraft operated, owned or leased by Indian airlines and operators.
This comes a day after India took initial action, terming it the first step as a retaliation for the ghastly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, killing 27 and injuring a few more. India’s initial actions have been to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, reduce embassy personnel and cancel visas, along with the closure of the Wagah-Attari border.
Pakistan had closed its airspace for all Indian and India-bound aircraft on February 27, 2019, as a retaliation to Indian Air Force airstrikes in Pakistan, following the deadly attack on paramilitary forces in Pulwama. The sudden closure had led to many flights being turned back mid-air and having to take fuel stops enroute. The airspace was opened on July 16, the same year after a closure of 140 days.
A closure was also in place during the Kargil war in 1999, but Indian aviation was much smaller then than what it is today with no private carrier flying international flights and only a handful of private carriers being present in the skies.
The way it differs this time around is that the closure is currently restricted to Indian carriers only, including the wet-leased planes of IndiGo, which come from Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines. This means that foreign carriers are able to operate to India via Pakistani airspace, giving an asymmetrical advantage to foreign carriers in terms of operating time and cost.
What next?
The current situation warrants a wait-and-watch approach for airlines, airports and passengers. A geopolitical situation is always developing, and while the political top brass talk of appropriate action, it cannot be instantaneous. The focus right now would be to ensure that tourists who are stranded in Srinagar and the Kashmir valley and want to return, return safely with additional flights out of Srinagar, which are already being coordinated and capped on fares.
For now, it is a scramble for the airlines to adjust schedules in times of uncertainty. These changes take time to take effect since multiple factors have to be considered. While Indian carriers have had access to Russian airspace, making it easier and faster for Air India to fly to Europe and North America as compared to European and American carriers, the closure of Pakistani airspace changes the equation completely.
What should the passengers do?
These are early times and the passengers need to be in wait-and-watch mode. If you are already booked with any of the Indian carriers on flights which take the northerly route over Pakistan, expect a delay or cancellation in flight. If you are connecting via Delhi on one of the Indian carriers, the connection times might move.
The situation is developing with each country upping the ante. Passengers should evaluate the safety and travel arrangements in current times and keep their passenger details updated with airlines so that information sent out is percolated at the earliest, helping the passengers.
