ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has extended restrictions on Indian aircraft, keeping its airspace closed to all Indian civil and military flights until March 23, the Pakistan Airports Authority said Thursday.

The new notice, NOTAM A0096/26, covers both the Karachi and Lahore flight information regions, which make up the country’s airspace. It replaces a previous directive that was set to expire on Feb. 23.

Indian carriers have been forced to reroute flights along longer paths. Westbound flights from cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad now take a southern route over the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, passing through the United Arab Emirates or Oman before continuing to Europe, the UK, or North America. Some northern routes now pass through Chinese and Central Asian airspace.

The rerouting has increased flight times and operational costs due to extra fuel stops. Indian airlines, particularly Air India, report fuel costs rising by up to 29% and estimated monthly losses of roughly $500 million.

Pakistan and India have closed their airspaces to each other since tensions rose in late April 2025 following an attack in Pahalgam, in India-occupied Kashmir. New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing the attack, which Pakistan denied while offering a neutral probe.

The two countries briefly fought their fiercest military engagement in decades in early May 2025, with Pakistan downing several Indian jets.

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Pakistan extends airspace ban for Indian flights until March 23