Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian aircraft until 24 October in 17th NOTAM

Pakistan has extended its ban on Indian aircraft entering its airspace for another month. A new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) from the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) keeps the closure in force until 4:59am on 24 October 2026, according to Dawn.

The notice took effect at 10:45am on Wednesday, 16 September. The previous extension was due to lapse on 24 September, so the new NOTAM rolls the ban forward before that deadline.

What the ban covers

The restriction applies across both of Pakistan's flight information regions, Karachi and Lahore. It covers:

• all Indian-registered aircraft
• aircraft operated, owned or leased by Indian airlines or operators
• Indian military flights

Geo News reported this is the 17th NOTAM issued to extend the closure. The Express Tribune gave the end date as 23 October, a difference that appears to come from how the notice's cut-off time is expressed; Dawn, Geo and Business Recorder all report 24 October.

How the closure started

Pakistan first shut its airspace to Indian aircraft in late April 2025. Geo dates the ban to 23 April 2025, while Dawn says the military announced it on 24 April, after the attack in Pahalgam in Indian-occupied Kashmir. India had suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of that attack.

India responded on 30 April 2025 by closing its own airspace to Pakistani airlines. The two countries then fought an 87-hour conflict in May 2025, including Indian strikes on 6 and 7 May, before a US-brokered ceasefire on 10 May. Both governments have renewed their airspace bans roughly every month since then.

The numbers

The cost has fallen mainly on Indian carriers, which must fly longer routes to reach Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia.

• Air India said fuel costs rose by as much as 29% on some routes.
• Journey times grew by up to three hours on certain flights.
• Air India estimated the annual hit to its profit before tax at about $455 million, close to its entire FY2024-25 loss of $439 million.

Geo News noted that Pakistan's own aviation sector has faced comparatively limited disruption.

What it means for travellers in Pakistan

If you are flying from Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad on PIA, another Pakistani carrier or a foreign airline, this NOTAM does not change your flight. The ban applies only to Indian aircraft and operators.

The reverse restriction still matters, though. Pakistani airlines remain barred from Indian airspace under India's reciprocal closure, which Pakistan Today reports is still in effect. Any Pakistani flight heading east, towards Southeast Asia for example, has to route around India.

Travellers with family in India, or those planning trips that would involve an Indian carrier, should expect no change in the situation before late October at the earliest.

What happens next

The new NOTAM expires on 24 October. Based on the pattern since April 2025, both sides typically issue fresh extensions a few days before each deadline. Any easing would most likely need a wider thaw in Pakistan-India relations, which remain tense.

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