In a strong response to India’s water-related actions, Pakistan has announced the closure of its airspace to Indian aircraft. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), declaring that no Indian flight will be allowed to enter Pakistani airspace for a month.
The sudden announcement has caused significant disruption to Indian airlines. Flights were forced to divert mid-route, creating an emergency situation for multiple carriers. Several long-haul international flights had to land at alternate airports in different countries for refueling and rerouting.
According to the CAA, the airspace closure came into effect at 6:00 PM. IndiGo flight 6E1428, travelling from Sharjah to Amritsar, was about to enter Pakistani airspace via Turbat when it had to be diverted. The aircraft rerouted over the Gulf of Oman and landed at Ahmedabad Airport to refuel.
Air India’s Toronto-bound flight AI190 was also diverted and landed at Copenhagen for refueling. Similarly, Air India flight AI148 from Paris to New Delhi was redirected to Abu Dhabi, as was flight AI162 from London.
Other affected flights included IndiGo flight 6E1807 from Delhi to Tbilisi, which was rerouted to Ahmedabad. Two IndiGo flights to Central Asia—6E1801 to Almaty and 6E1805 to Tashkent—were cancelled.
Furthermore, IndiGo flight 6E9526 from Delhi to Sharjah was rerouted, and Air India Express flight IX145 from Delhi to Bahrain was also diverted.
The decision to close airspace is seen as a significant move by Pakistan, likely to escalate tensions between the two countries while causing logistical and financial complications for Indian carriers.
