India Pakistan Airspace Closure Extended Till July 24

In a move that underscores the deteriorating diplomatic ties between the two neighbours, India and Pakistan’s airspace closure has now been extended by another month, till 5:29 am IST on July 24. The decision—announced via updated NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) by aviation authorities in both countries—continues to affect close to 800 flights a week operated by Indian carriers, severely hampering operational efficiency and increasing fuel costs.

The latest extension comes in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, which triggered a chain of retaliatory moves between the two nations, starting with Pakistan’s decision on April 24 to shut its airspace to all Indian aircraft. India reciprocated six days later, effectively closing its skies to Pakistani carriers. Both nations previously extended these restrictions on May 23. Monday’s notifications were identical in nature but shifted the timeline forward by another month.

Ripple Effects on Indian Airlines

The India-Pakistan airspace closure has created a logistical and financial burden for Indian aviation. Airlines flying westward—towards the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, and North America—now face longer routes. Flights from Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, and Lucknow have been especially affected. According to Cirium, a global aviation analytics firm, around 640 of the 800 impacted weekly flights originate or arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, India’s busiest and most interconnected hub.

These rerouted flights are burning more fuel and requiring complex crew reassignments due to extended duty hours, leading to spiralling operational costs. For example, IndiGo has suspended flights to Almaty and Tashkent, as their current fleet of narrow-body aircraft cannot cover the longer routes without compromising efficiency. Air India’s ultra-long-haul flights to North America, once direct, now require technical halts at European airports like Vienna and Copenhagen, disrupting what were previously seamless journeys.

India-Pakistan Airspace: Financial Impact Mounts

The financial blow to India’s airlines is already steep. During the 2019 airspace standoff following the Balakot airstrikes, Indian carriers reportedly incurred losses of ₹700 crore. This time, Air India, now under the Tata Group, has internally estimated an annualised loss of $600 million due to fuel and route diversions. With increasing west-bound international connectivity, particularly from airlines like IndiGo and Air India Express, the scale of the disruption in 2025 far exceeds that of six years ago.

Flight durations have increased by 15 minutes to several hours, depending on destination and route, making tight scheduling and crew rotations even more complex for carriers already navigating a highly competitive global market.

Minimal Disruption for Pakistan

While India is grappling with serious operational and financial consequences, the impact on Pakistan has been comparatively negligible. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)—the country’s struggling national carrier—has a much smaller international footprint. According to Cirium data, only six weekly PIA flights to and from Kuala Lumpur (via Lahore and Islamabad) used to overfly Indian airspace. This limited exposure means India’s airspace ban has barely dented Pakistan’s aviation sector.

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