KARACHI: Pakistan on Thursday extended its airspace ban on Indian aircraft until Dec. 24, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said, as tensions remain high between the two nuclear-armed neighbors since they fought a four-day war in May that killed at least 70 people in both countries.
The restriction was first imposed on Apr. 24 as part of a series of tit-for-tat measures announced by both India and Pakistan, days after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan.
Pakistan denied involvement, calling for a credible, international probe into the attack that killed 26 tourists. But India targeted several sites in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, triggering intense missile, drone and artillery exchanges, before a US-brokered ceasefire was announced on May 10.
“Pakistan Airports Authority has issued a NOTAM restricting country’s airspace for all Indian-registered aircraft as well as any aircraft operated, owned, or leased by Indian airlines or operators, including military flights,” a PAA spokesman said on Thursday.
“The airspace closure applies from ground level up to unlimited altitude.”
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full but rule it in part and have fought multiple wars over it.
This is the sixth time Pakistan has extended the ban, which has forced Indian airlines to reroute flights, increasing fuel consumption, travel times and operating costs.
Air India, which operates numerous flights to Europe and North America, is lobbying the Indian government to convince China to let it use a sensitive military airspace zone in Xinjiang to shorten routes as the financial toll from a ban on Indian carriers flying over Pakistan mounts, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a company document.
The unusual request comes just weeks after direct India-China flights resumed after a five-year hiatus following a Himalayan border clash between the nations.
The Indian government is reviewing Air India’s plea to diplomatically ask China to allow an alternative routing and emergency access to airports in case of diversions at Hotan, Kashgar and Urumqi in Xinjiang, aiming to reach US, Canada and Europe faster, the document said.
“Air India’s long-haul network is under severe operational and financial strain ... Securing Hotan route will be a strategic option,” it added.
The airline estimated in May the airspace ban could lead to about $600 million in additional expenses over the course of a year and requested compensation from the Indian government.
