What happened
Pakistan has extended its airspace restrictions on Indian aircraft until 23 March 2026, according to a fresh notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) and reported by Dawn on 19 February.
The NOTAM applies to both of Pakistan’s flight information regions — Karachi (OPKR) and Lahore (OPLR) — and bars all Indian civil and military registered aircraft from Pakistani airspace until 23 March. It extends a ban that was previously set to run until 24 February.
Why it matters
India and Pakistan have closed their airspaces to each other’s airlines since tensions escalated in late April 2025, after an attack in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 people. New Delhi alleged, without evidence, that Islamabad was behind the attack; Pakistan strongly denied any involvement and offered a neutral probe. In early May 2025 the two nuclear-armed neighbours fought their fiercest military conflict in decades, and Pakistan says it downed seven Indian jets during the fighting.
The prolonged closures have imposed a financial toll on carriers on both sides. According to Dawn, it was reported in November that Air India was lobbying the Indian government to persuade China to let it use a sensitive military airspace zone in Xinjiang to shorten routes.
What is still uncertain
Pakistan has not indicated how long it intends to maintain the closure beyond the new 23 March deadline, and no talks aimed at restoring normal overflight rights between the two countries have been announced. The measure is one of the remaining aviation restrictions left over from the 2025 confrontation.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 19 February 2026.
- Dawn — "Pakistan extends airspace closure for Indian aircraft until March 23"Published 19 Feb 2026 · Pakistan Airports Authority NOTAM extending the ban to 23 March, the two affected flight information regions, the April 2025 Pahalgam attack and the May 2025 conflict, and the Air India route lobbying report.
