Pakistan has formally prolonged its closure of airspace for Indian-registered aircraft till Aug 24, the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) said.
According to NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), “No aircraft operated by Indian Airlines or Military, Civilian flights that are owned by India will be permitted to use Pakistani Airspace” The ban came into effect at 3:50 PM IST and will remain in place till Aug 24, 5:19 AM, as stated by the PAA.
A measure taken on April 30 after the Pahalgam Terror Attack on April 22 which tragically claimed the lives of 26 innocent people, India has also extended its prohibition on Pakistani Aircraft from accessing Indian Air Space until July 24.
The extended airspace closure had a huge impact on the routes of all international airlines.
Flights operating between Europe, the Mideast and South Asia had to take other routes. As a result these changes are impacting flight timings, operational complexity, fuel costs and these are driving up the fares of airlines and making inconvenient schedules for passengers traveling globally as the schedule is less traveler centric.
