India renews ban on Pakistani aircraft; both nations’ airspace closures enter sixth month.
India has extended its ban on Pakistani airlines and aircraft from entering Indian airspace until 5:29 AM on October 24, according to a fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by aviation authorities. The move mirrors Pakistan’s recent decision to prolong its airspace closure for Indian carriers by another month, pushing the mutual restrictions into their sixth consecutive month.
The closures were first imposed following the Pahalgam terror attack in April, which led Pakistan to restrict Indian overflights from April 24. India responded on April 30 by issuing reciprocal measures against Pakistani aircraft. Since then, both countries have been renewing the restrictions month by month.
While the bans apply to each other’s commercial and military aircraft, international airlines from other countries remain unaffected and continue to overfly both nations. The latest NOTAMs issued by India and Pakistan are almost identical, with the same expiration date of October 24, underscoring the continuing strain in bilateral ties.
Source: The Indian Express
