ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended its airspace ban for all Indian-registered and Indian-operated aircraft, including military planes, for another month, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said on Friday. According to a new NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), the restriction bars Indian commercial airlines, India-registered aircraft, and military flights from entering Pakistani airspace.

Pakistan initially closed its airspace in a tit-for-tat move after New Delhi suspended the critical Indus Water Treaty amid heightened bilateral tensions following the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Following Pakistan’s decision, India shut its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30. Pakistan’s first restriction was later extended on May 23, with the latest extension bringing the closure to 210 days in total.

Tensions peaked after India launched unprovoked attacks on multiple Pakistani cities on May 6-7. In response, Pakistan’s armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action, codenamed Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, targeting several Indian military installations across multiple regions. Officials described the strikes as “precise and proportionate,” carried out in retaliation for India’s continued aggression across the Line of Control (LoC) and inside Pakistani territory. Pakistan downed six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, along with dozens of drones.

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The brief but intense conflict lasted 87 hours and ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.

While India’s aviation industry has faced heavy losses due to the closure, the impact on Pakistani aviation has been minimal. This is not the first time Pakistan has enforced such measures. Airspace closures were also imposed during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both times resulting in greater disruption for India’s aviation sector.