India has closed its airspace to aircraft registered in Pakistan from May 1, 2025, impacting six weekly flights operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on its Islamabad–Kuala Lumpur and Lahore–Kuala Lumpur routes. This move comes in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which killed 26 people, most of them tourists.

According to aviation data from Cirium, PIA currently operates four weekly flights between Islamabad and Kuala Lumpur and two between Lahore and Kuala Lumpur. These services are now rerouted to avoid Indian airspace, increasing flight time and fuel consumption.

The decision by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) was formalized through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued on the evening of April 30. The notice states that Indian airspace will be “not available from May 1” for:

• Aircraft registered in Pakistan

• Aircraft owned or leased by Pakistani operators

• Military aircraft of Pakistan

The restriction is expected to remain in place until at least May 23, based on earlier advisories. This move is seen as a reciprocal response after Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian carriers on April 24, just two days after the deadly terrorist attack in the Indian union territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

Rerouting Challenges

Aviation industry sources indicate that PIA began rerouting its affected Kuala Lumpur flights even before the official Indian ban, using alternate paths through Chinese, Laotian, and Thai airspace to reach Malaysia. These longer routes incur higher operational costs and potential scheduling issues for passengers.

Meanwhile, Indian airlines are also experiencing turbulence. For instance:

• IndiGo, India’s largest airline, temporarily suspended its Almaty and Tashkent flights, citing fuel limitations for its narrow-body Airbus aircraft.

• The airline also reported that about 50 of its international routes now involve longer flight paths, leading to delays or rescheduling.

Impact on Indian Carriers

Despite these challenges, Indian aviation has grown considerably:

• Air India operates 1,188 international flights per week, up 56.7% from April 2019.

  • India–Europe flights have increased by 80% to 242 per week.

  • India–North America services have more than doubled to 144 flights per week.

• Air India Express, its budget arm, handles 954 weekly international flights, showing a 65.1% increase over 2019 figures.

• IndiGo runs 1,904 international services weekly, almost 2.5 times its April 2019 levels.

IndiGo also plans to launch India–Europe routes during summer 2025 using four leased B787-9 wide-body aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways.

Diplomatic and Security Tensions Escalate

This airspace conflict is another sign of rapidly deteriorating India-Pakistan relations following the Pahalgam terror attack, which India attributes to Pakistani-based terror groups.

In a related development, Pakistan appointed Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, current Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as the new National Security Adviser (NSA). This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a sitting ISI chief holds both posts simultaneously.

India, for its part, has also made internal security moves, with PM Narendra Modi skipping Russia’s Victory Day parade, and the Indian government revamping the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB).

Global Reactions and Strategic Ramifications

Amid the rising regional tensions:

• US Secretary of State Robert Rubio held talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging de-escalation.

• Pakistan’s stock exchange (PSX) fell by 3,500 points, reflecting fears of broader regional instability.

• Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the LoC multiple times over the past week, with India retaliating.

These events indicate that aviation disruptions are just one aspect of a much larger diplomatic and military standoff. The airspace closures are causing economic losses, passenger delays, and potentially impact trade flows, but they also serve as symbolic and strategic tools in a time of heightened geopolitical tension.

Conclusion

The closure of Indian airspace to Pakistani aircraft marks a new chapter in the fraught India–Pakistan relationship, reflecting security-driven aviation policies and broader diplomatic fallout from terrorist violence. With no immediate signs of reconciliation, both sides appear committed to assertive measures on and off the runway, as passengers and airlines brace for longer routes and greater uncertainty in South Asian skies.