In South Asia, India and Pakistan have extended the closure of their airspaces to each other’s airlines until June 24, 2025, as reported by the Times of India . This follows a terrorist attack in Kashmir on April 23, 2025, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, with India blaming Pakistan for supporting the attackers, a claim Pakistan denied.
The initial ban, imposed in late April, was extended from May 24, 2025, impacting flights to and from the west, affecting Indian-registered and Pakistan-registered aircraft, including military flights. This closure forces airlines to reroute, adding approximately two hours to flight times for routes to Europe, North America, and the Middle East, increasing fuel costs and ticket prices. Major international carriers, such as Lufthansa and Air France, have begun avoiding Pakistani airspace, citing security concerns, further complicating global flight schedules.
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The impact includes operational challenges for airlines, with rerouting through the Arabian Sea or Central Asia, adding costs and delays. This reflects the volatile relationship between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, with historical conflicts over Kashmir exacerbating tensions. The extension underscores the difficulty in restoring normalcy, affecting regional connectivity and economic activities, with ripple effects on global aviation.
