Pakistan Extends Airspace Ban on Indian Aircraft to 24 November 2026

Short answer: Pakistan has extended its airspace ban on Indian aircraft to 04:59 am PKT on 24 November 2026. The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) issued notice A0590/26 on 17 October 2026, replacing the notice that was due to end on 24 October. The ban covers aircraft registered in India and aircraft owned, operated or leased by Indian airlines, including military flights.

A NOTAM, short for Notice to Air Missions, is the official alert pilots must read before a flight. We read the new notice on the PAA's own NOTAM service on 20 October 2026. This is the nineteenth notice in the chain since the ban began in April 2025. For people flying from Pakistan on PIA or a foreign airline, nothing changes.

NOTAM A0590/26 runs to 04:59 am PKT on 24 November

The new notice, A0590/26, replaces A0521/26. It covers the Karachi and Lahore flight information regions, which between them make up all of Pakistan's airspace. It runs from 17 October 2026 to 23:59 UTC on 23 November, which is 04:59 am PKT on 24 November.

The notice's text reads: "PAKISTAN AIRSPACE NOT AVBL FOR INDIAN REGISTERED ACFT AND ACFT OPERATED/OWNED OR LEASED BY INDIAN AIRLINES/OPERATORS INCLUDING MILITARY FLIGHTS." In plain English, Pakistan's airspace is not available to those aircraft. The ban applies from the ground to unlimited height.

The time lines in a NOTAM are written in UTC, which is five hours behind Pakistan time. That is why the end falls at 4:59 am on 24 November in Pakistan. The "EST" after the end time means estimated: the notice can be renewed or cancelled before then.

The ban was renewed a week before it was due to lapse

The previous notice, A0521/26, ran from 16 September to 04:59 am PKT on 24 October 2026, as we set out in the October extension. The new notice started on 17 October, seven days before that end date. Every notice in the chain has ended at 23:59 UTC on the 23rd of a month.

We counted 18 notices in the chain up to A0521/26, starting with A0220/25 on 24 April 2025. A0590/26 makes 19. Each one replaces the last. In 2026 the PAA has issued them on 20 January, 17 February, 18 March, 21 April, 19 May and then roughly monthly after that.

PIA and foreign airlines flying from Pakistan are not affected

The notice names only Indian aircraft and Indian airlines. It does not mention PIA, other Pakistani airlines or any other foreign carrier. So a flight from Lahore to Dubai, from Islamabad to London or from Karachi to Jeddah is not touched by this notice.

India has its own ban on Pakistani aircraft, which has also been renewed month by month, according to reports. That one is not a PAA notice and we did not read it. It is the reason Pakistani airlines cannot cross Indian airspace to reach East Asia. If your trip involves an Indian airline at any point, check with that airline before you book.

You can read the notice yourself on the PAA website

The PAA publishes every current NOTAM on its website with a search box. Searching the word "INDIAN" brings up the chain of airspace notices, each with its text file. That is the only place to confirm a date, because press reports sometimes round the time or give it in the wrong time zone.

1. Open the Pakistan Airports Authority website and go to its NOTAM search.
2. Type "INDIAN" in the search box and run the search.
3. Open the newest notice, at the top of the list, and read its text file.
4. Read line C) for the end time and add five hours to convert UTC to PKT.
5. Check the status field: "Estimated" means it can still be renewed or cancelled.

For your own flight, the airline is still the best source. Live departures are covered in tracking flights in Pakistan, and your rights when a flight is cancelled are in flight delay and cancellation compensation.

Common questions about the airspace ban

Until when is Pakistan's airspace closed to Indian aircraft?

Until 04:59 am PKT on 24 November 2026, under NOTAM A0590/26 issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority on 17 October 2026.

Does the ban affect PIA flights?

No. The notice covers only Indian-registered aircraft and aircraft of Indian airlines. PIA is not named in it.

Can an Indian airline lease a foreign plane to get around it?

No. The notice also covers aircraft leased by Indian airlines or operators, whatever country the plane is registered in.

Are Indian military flights included?

Yes. The notice text says "including military flights".

Why does the end time say 23:59 on 23 November?

NOTAM times are in UTC. Add five hours for Pakistan time, which gives 04:59 am on 24 November.

Will the ban be extended again?

Nobody has said. The end time is marked "EST", meaning estimated. Every notice since April 2025 has been renewed.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 20 October 2026. We read NOTAM A0590/26 and the earlier notices in the chain through the NOTAM search on the Pakistan Airports Authority website, including the text file of A0590/26, on 20 October 2026. The count of 19 notices is our own, from tracing each "NOTAMR" reference back to A0220/25. The conversion from UTC to PKT is our arithmetic. India's ban on Pakistani aircraft is reported and we did not read India's notice.