India-Pakistan Airspace Standoff Continues as Islamabad Renews Ban Till May 24

Pakistan on Tuesday extended its ban on Indian aircraft from using its airspace for another month, continuing restrictions that have now been in place for nearly a year following the Pahalgam terror attack .

According to a fresh Notice to Airmen ( NOTAM ) issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority, all Indian-registered, operated, leased, commercial and military aircraft will remain barred from Pakistani airspace until 2359 hours UTC on May 23 (0530 IST on May 24, 2026). The extension comes just days before the previous curbs were set to expire on April 24, reflecting a now routine monthly renewal of the restriction.

Pakistan first closed its airspace to Indian carriers on April 24, 2025 , two days after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the incident, a charge Pakistan denied while calling for a transparent investigation . In response, India also shut its airspace to Pakistani aircraft from April 30, 2025, with both sides continuing reciprocal restrictions since then.

The choice of April 24 as the renewal cycle aligns with the original imposition date of Pakistan’s ban, explaining the recurring month-by-month extensions tied to expiring NOTAMs.

While the move is largely unsurprising given the continued diplomatic freeze , it has had tangible operational and financial consequences. Indian airlines, which previously relied on Pakistani airspace for efficient routes to the Gulf and beyond, have been forced to take longer, costlier detours reportedly resulting in losses running into billions of rupees .

Airspace closures between the two countries are not unprecedented, having occurred during the Kargil conflict and after the Pulwama attack , but the current restrictions mark one of the longest sustained disruptions in recent years.