India Extends Ban on Pakistani Aircraft Until August 23 Amid Reciprocal Airspace Restrictions

India Extends Ban on Pakistani Aircraft Until August 23: India has extended the ban on Pakistani aircraft till August 23, 2025. This is bad news for travelers. The reason is strategic and security. Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation tweeted about it on Tuesday.

"Update on Airspace Restriction. The Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) restricting Pakistani aircraft from entering Indian airspace has been officially extended until 23rd August 2025," Mohol said in his post.

Pakistan had extended its airspace ban on Indian aircraft recently.

The no-fly zones will have a ripple effect on many airways and will disrupt some travelers’ plans. Airlines flying between India and Pakistan and global routes flying through Indian airspace will have to find alternative routes. So expect travel delays, flight diversions and cancellations.

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Redirecting flights that would have otherwise flown through Indian skies is one of the biggest impact of the extended curbs. These diversions mean extra fuel burn, delays and passenger inconvenience. And many international flights that have hitherto overflown Indian airspace — for example, flights from the Middle East to South-East Asia may now have to find alternative routes, crowding the rest of the region’s air traffic space and adding to delays.

Airlines flying to and from Pakistan to other destinations in the world will have to find alternative air corridors as Indian airspace is no longer available. Not only will this be a burden on passengers, it will also increase the cost of travel given the extra miles flown and cost burden on airlines operations.

The longer ban also means no direct flights for travelers from Pakistan — or for people traveling to or from Pakistan. Travelers may face further delays or be forced to connect via other international hubs. This will add to their commute time and make their travel less seamless and efficient.

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On July 19, Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) issued a fresh NOTAM banning all Indian commercial, military and civilian aircraft—whether operated, owned or leased by Indian entities—from using Pakistani airspace.

The restriction came into effect at 3:50 PM IST on Friday and will be in force till 5:19 AM IST on August 24.

The airspace bans were first imposed in April 2025 after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 in which 26 people were killed. India banned Pakistani aircraft from its airspace on April 30 and Pakistan retaliated on April 24. Since then both have extended the ban multiple times as the diplomatic and security situation has deteriorated.

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