Indo-Pak tensions intensify post Pahalgam: India considering shutting its airspace to Pakistani airlines, banning Pak ships on Indian ports

As tensions between India and Pakistan continue to intensify post the Pahalgam carnage, India is actively considering closing its airspace to Pakistani airlines. Due to this, Pakistani airlines will be forced to take longer routes via China and Sri Lanka, India Today reported citing officials aware of the matter. 

Notably, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has flights only to and from Beijing and Kuala Lumpur in the east. The development comes after Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Monday that the government is assessing the situation after the Pakistani airspace closure and that it is working with airlines for solutions. 

“We are assessing the situation… and working with airlines,” the minister said.

As per Naidu, the aviation ministry will assess aspects related to airlines as well as passengers, including the possible increase in airfares due to higher operational costs due to the airspace closure by Pakistan and longer flying hours. 

Even as India deliberates on restrictions, Pakistani carriers have already started avoiding Indian airspace due to the apprehensions of retaliatory action after the Pahalgam massacre. On April 24, the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office said the country’s airspace would be closed “with immediate effect for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines.”

Following this announcement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a detailed advisory directing airlines to upgrade passenger communication, in-flight catering, medical preparedness, and customer service.

As per these guidelines, airlines must proactively inform passengers about revised routing, extended block times, and the likelihood of technical stops at intermediate airports.

The airlines are required to deliver any information on revised total expecte4d travel time and potential stopovers among others promptly at check-in, boarding gates, and when and where feasible, through SMS and e-mail alerts. As per these guidelines, carriers must brief the call centre and reservation teams about possible delays and schedule disruptions.

International and regional flights, especially those from Delhi and other northern cities, have been significantly rerouted, as per the aviation regulator.

Besides this, New Delhi is also considering a ban on Pakistani ships at Indian ports as part of retaliatory measures against its Western neighbour following the Pahalgam attack which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.

(With inputs from Shivani Sharma, PTI)