Pakistan has extended its airspace ban on Indian aircraft until November 24, 2026, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) announced. The new notice took effect at 7:45 pm on Saturday, October 17, and lasts until 4:59 am on November 24, Pakistan time. The old ban was due to expire on October 24.

The notice, called a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), is numbered A0590. It covers Indian-registered aircraft and planes owned, operated or leased by Indian airlines, including military flights. It applies to both Karachi and Lahore flight information regions. Pakistan first closed its airspace on April 23, 2025, after the Pahalgam attack, and this is the 19th extension, according to Minute Mirror. India closed its own airspace to Pakistani aircraft on April 30, 2025.

Air India drops two European routes

Air India is suspending its four-times-weekly Delhi–Vienna flights and its three-times-weekly Delhi–Birmingham flights. Vienna goes from around November 1. Reports give dates between November 1 and November 4 for Birmingham, so passengers should check with the airline.

The airline cited higher running costs, rising jet fuel prices, and fewer aircraft because of maintenance and cabin upgrades. It also named the airspace closure and the limited number of Boeing 787 planes. Other reports say Delhi–Copenhagen and Amritsar–London Gatwick services end on October 25.

Anyone booked on these routes should contact Air India about rebooking or a refund.

What the closure costs

Estimates put India’s aviation losses at nearly $2 billion since April 2025, according to Minute Mirror and TechJuice. These are reported estimates, not audited figures.

Air India has told the Indian government the closure cuts its yearly profit before tax by about $455 million. Reuters reported, via ch-aviation, that the airline’s letter warned of losses above $590 million a year if the closure continues.

Indian flights now take longer routes through Iran or Central Asia. Fuel costs have reportedly risen by up to 29 percent, and flights take 30 minutes to three hours longer. About 800 Indian flights a week are affected, around 640 of them through Delhi.

Pakistan loses money too

Pakistan also loses overflight fees when planes stay away. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the National Assembly that the PAA lost Rs. 4.1 billion in the 67 days from April 24 to June 30, 2025, according to Minute Mirror. The outlet’s own calculation puts total losses at about Rs. 33 billion by October 17, 2026. That is an estimate, not an official figure.