ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday closed its airspace to all Indian flights for a period of one month with immediate effect.
According to a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Indian-registered civil and military aircraft will not be able to use the country’s airspace until further notice.
The restriction, which will remain in effect until May 23 at 12:00 AM, prohibits all Indian airlines and operators from using Pakistani airspace.
This ban also extends to aircraft leased by Indian entities and operated within India.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that the restrictions will be strictly enforced, effectively severing a critical air corridor for Indian flights.
According to the NOTAM, Pakistani airspace will remain closed to Indian-registered civil and military aircraft.
The closure of Pakistani airspace will cost Indian flights millions of dollars every day.
According to reports, more than 100 Indian flights use Pakistani airspace daily, including Air India, Air India Express, Aditya Jet, Indigo Air, and Akasa Air, among others.
It is worth mentioning that during the previous airspace closure, Indian airlines incurred losses of approximately $80 million over just a few days, while passengers also faced increased travel costs.
Pakistan has also suspended all trade with India and closed its airspace with immediate effect for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines in response to India’s slew of aggressive measures against the country in the wake of the Pahalgam incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
As per reports, gunmen opened fire on visitors, killing at least 26 people and injuring 17 others in the occupied Kashmir.
Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) — the top security body — met for over two hours on Thursday to assess and formulate a response.
“All trade with India, including to and from any third country through Pakistan, is suspended forthwith”, an NSC communique said.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday challenged India to present credible and verifiable evidence before the international community of Pakistan’s alleged involvement in Tuesday’s Pahalgam incident.
Meanwhile Pakistan on Thursday summoned India’s Charge d’Affaires Geetika Srivastava to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and formally conveyed a strong demarche in response to recent Indian actions, local media reported, citing diplomatic sources.
