RAWALPINDI — The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) announced on Wednesday that air traffic has resumed on key routes, while India has closed at least 21 airports in its northern and northwestern regions for passenger flights until May 10.
According to the PAA, certain sections of Pakistani airspace, especially over Lahore, will remain closed for an additional 24 hours due to “operational reasons,” as outlined in an updated notice to airmen (NOTAM).
The NOTAM detailed that airspace over Lahore will be temporarily off-limits at all altitudes from 10:50 a.m. on May 7 until 12:20 p.m. on May 9. Flights departing from or arriving at Islamabad International Airport were instructed to coordinate with Air Traffic Control (ATC) for clearance.
In a statement, the PAA said it has officially raised its concerns with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) about the “serious risks posed to civil aviation safety by India’s reckless and provocative actions.” This follows Pakistan’s complete closure of its airspace for 48 hours after a military escalation with India on Tuesday night.
Later on Wednesday, the PAA issued an updated NOTAM confirming that airspace over Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Karachi was fully reopened, though the restrictions over Lahore remained in place.
A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) told Dawn that “only a few routes between Lahore and Islamabad will stay closed, but other routes between these cities will continue to operate.”
The PAA also emphasized that all airports across Pakistan “remain fully operational,” affirming that the country’s airspace “is open and secure for civil aviation.”
Indian Airports Remain Closed
In India, airports in the north are set to stay closed until 5:29 a.m. on May 10, according to a NOTAM obtained by The Hindu. The closures affect airports across the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Leh, as well as the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, leading to widespread flight cancellations on domestic routes.
Among the affected airports are Jammu and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir; Leh; Amritsar, Chandigarh, Patiala, and Halwara in Punjab; Shimla and Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh; Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Kishangarh in Rajasthan; and Bhuj, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Mundra, Porbandar, Kandla, Keshod, and Bhuj in Gujarat, according to the Airports Authority of India’s NOTAM.
Additional closures include Gwalior and Hindon, as reported by airlines on X. Many of these airports serve both civilian airlines and the Indian Air Force.
The heightened military tensions between India and Pakistan have also disrupted international flights, including those operated by U.S. carriers, as they were unable to transit Pakistani airspace en route to India.
