India closes 25 flight routes to Pakistan from Indian airspace

Mumbai/New Delhi: India on Wednesday closed about 25 flight routes that allow planes to enter Pakistan through the Indian airspace on a day when the armed forces launched missile attacks on terror targets in Pakistan, according to officials.

Against the backdrop of rising tensions between the two countries, many foreign airlines have been avoiding the Pakistan airspace. On April 30. India shut its airspace for Pakistan airline as part of retaliatory measures in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed at least 26 people. On April 24, Pakistan closed its airspace for Indian carriers.

Three officials told PTI on Wednesday that around 25 flight routes that allow entry of aircraft into the Pakistan airspace have been closed until further notice. The closure will also mean that foreign carriers that were overflying Pakistan airspace after exiting the Indian airspace will have to take longer routes to their destinations, they said.

One of the officials said foreign airlines have been advised to use alternative flight routes wherein they will not be using the Pakistan airspace after exiting the Indian airspace.

Airlines pay a certain fee to the civil aviation authority concerned of the country through which it is overflying.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) provides Air Traffic Management Services (ATMS) over the entire Indian airspace and adjoining oceanic areas.

Early on Wednesday, India launched Operation Sindoor and carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke.