Business Desk 
May 01, 2025
Pakistan has declared temporary airspace closures above sections of Karachi and Lahore due to security considerations.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) explained that these airspace closures will take place daily between 4:00am and 8:00am local time from May 1 through May 31, 2025.
Pakistan temporarily shuts Karachi, Lahore airspace
The areas restricted are under Karachi and Lahore Flight Information Regions (FIRs). Yet the CAA assured that the step will not interrupt significant commercial flights. Aircraft will be assigned alternative routes to keep operations running smoothly.
Notably, this measure is part of enhanced airspace security due to heightened regional tensions, particularly following a recent incident in Pahalgam. Precautionary measures are being taken by Pakistan's aviation authorities to secure air travel.
Major airports such as Jinnah International Airport (Karachi) and Allama Iqbal International Airport (Lahore) will continue to operate with slight adjustments to flight routes.
All airports in Pakistan have been put on high alert. Air traffic controllers have received new directives to closely monitor all flights, including those from foreign airlines transiting or arriving from Indian airspace.
Moreover, Indian airlines remain prohibited from flying over Pakistan. As a result of these increased precautions, Wednesday flights to Gilgit and Skardu were cancelled.
The authorities have also started requiring pilots of any suspect aircraft to produce air defence clearance numbers before clearing them to depart.
Additionally, this airspace closure is not a complete shutdown but covers certain flying corridors. It is intended to improve national security at a sensitive time.
