Rehan Shahid 
Jan 21, 2026
Pakistan on Tuesday extended the ban on Indian-owned airlines from using its airspace for an additional month, until February 24, 2026.
All Indian-owned, operated, and leased aircraft, including military flights, are subject to restrictions, in effect from January 25, 2025, to February 24, 2026, according to a Notice to Airmen (Notam) released by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Tuesday.
Pakistan closed its airspace for Indian airlines in a tit-for-tat move after New Delhi suspended the Indus Water Treaty amid heightened bilateral tensions following the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
PAA said the decision continues an existing restriction that has already been in place for the past nine months.
Following Pakistan's decision, India shut its airspace to Pakistani airlines on April 30. Pakistan's initial restriction was extended on May 23 for another month.
Indian airlines have been severely impacted financially by the ban; earlier, Air India estimates that it has lost about $455 million in potential yearly profit.
This is not the first time Pakistan has imposed such restrictions. Airspace closures were previously enacted during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Pulwama crisis, both instances in which India faced greater aviation disruptions than Pakistan.
