In a dramatic move, Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian aircraft for one month, citing recent water-related actions by New Delhi. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), halting all Indian flights from entering Pakistani airspace effective 6:00 PM.
The decision has caused widespread disruption to Indian aviation. Several flights were forced to divert mid-route, triggering emergency measures by airlines. IndiGo flight 6E1428 from Sharjah to Amritsar, for example, had to reroute via the Gulf of Oman and refueled in Ahmedabad.
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Multiple Air India flights were also affected. AI190 from Toronto landed in Copenhagen, while AI148 from Paris and AI162 from London were diverted to Abu Dhabi. Other cancellations and diversions involved flights to Central Asia and the Gulf.
The move, viewed as a retaliatory step, is expected to increase tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours and impose significant financial and operational strain on Indian carriers.
