Pakistan has announced the closure of its airspace to Indian airlines in a retaliatory move following India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The escalation comes in the wake of heightened tensions after the Pahalgam incident in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The airspace shutdown is expected to have severe financial repercussions for Indian carriers, including major airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India Express, and Akasa Air. These airlines collectively operate between 70 and 80 daily flights through Pakistani airspace, with numbers occasionally exceeding 100 flights per day. Key routes affected include flights from major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, and Goa.
With the airspace now restricted, Indian airlines will be forced to reroute their flights, adding approximately two hours to each journey. This detour will lead to a substantial increase in fuel consumption and operational costs, further straining these carriers’ financial health.
Pakistan has suspended all trade with India and closed its airspace and land border. The measures follow the imposition of sanctions imposed by India after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/75UUcsWbxv
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 24, 2025In addition to the airspace closure, India’s Foreign Ministry has taken several retaliatory measures. The Attari and Wagah borders have been closed to Pakistani nationals under the SAARC visa exemption scheme. Furthermore, India has recalled its defence attachés from Islamabad and announced a reduction in diplomatic staff at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi from 55 to 30 personnel. Military advisors stationed at the commission have been given a week to leave the country.
Pakistan’s Firm Stance on Water Rights
Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) has strongly condemned India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a violation of a binding international agreement facilitated by the World Bank. The NSC emphasised that the treaty contains no provision for unilateral suspension and warned that any attempt to disrupt Pakistan’s water supply would be treated as an “Act of War.”
The committee underscored that water security is a vital national interest for Pakistan, directly impacting the livelihoods of its 240 million citizens. Any efforts to divert or block water flow as per the treaty’s terms would be met with a full-scale response across all dimensions of national power.
The closure of Pakistani airspace marks a significant escalation in the already strained relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Key developments to watch include
