Indian flights are denied access to Pakistani airspace until October 24th, as per the continuation of the airspace restriction.
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has extended its airspace ban on Indian-registered aircraft for another month, according to a notice issued on Friday. The ban, which took effect from 1:00 p.m. on September 19, will remain in force until 4:59 a.m. on October 24 (local time).
The ban applies to all Indian-owned and operated aircraft, including those leased from other countries. It also includes military flights, as well as civil and military aircraft that are either owned by Indian entities or leased for Indian use.
Indian airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet have been affected by the ban. Flights between India and the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia, which typically cross Pakistan, are now required to reroute, increasing flight time and operational costs.
This is the fifth consecutive month that Indian flights have been barred from Pakistani airspace. The decision to extend the ban may be related to ongoing political tensions between Pakistan and India, as previously mentioned. No reason was cited in the latest notification regarding the extension of the ban.
It is worth noting that the ban does not affect aircraft from other countries that are not registered in India. The ban on Indian aircraft, first imposed in April, has been extended successively.
The extension of the ban is expected to affect Indian carriers operating on international routes, with the affected routes requiring longer detours around Pakistan. The ban does not, however, affect flights from other countries that are not registered in India.
