ISLAMABAD: Amid rising regional tensions and heightened security concerns, Pakistan has announced the temporary closure of specific sections of its airspace over the Karachi and Lahore Flight Information Regions (FIRs) during May, aviation officials confirmed on Thursday.
According to a notification issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the airspace will be closed daily from 4:00 am to 8:00 am (local time) between May 1 and May 31.
The restricted closure, however, will apply only to designated corridors and not result in a complete shutdown, ensuring that routine commercial air traffic faces minimal disruption.
Aircraft will be rerouted through alternative paths, keeping operations at major hubs like Jinnah International Airport (Karachi) and Allama Iqbal International Airport (Lahore) largely unaffected.
Aviation sources clarified that these precautionary restrictions are part of enhanced national security protocols, introduced as a protective measure during a period of elevated regional tension — particularly following strained relations with India in the wake of the Pahalgam incident.
As a further response, airports across the country have been placed under high alert, with security and surveillance significantly increased.
Air traffic control units have been directed to intensify monitoring of all flight movements, especially foreign carriers transiting through Pakistani airspace.
On Wednesday, all commercial flights to and from Gilgit and Skardu were cancelled due to security reasons.
Controllers have been ordered to demand air defence clearance numbers from suspicious aircraft prior to any departure. No plane will be cleared without proper identification and documentation, officials warned.
While Indian airlines remain banned from operating in Pakistan, international flights from other nations continue under tightened scrutiny, as the country navigates a tense geopolitical climate and shores up its aviation defences.
