Pakistan’s Airports Authority (PAA) on 17 December issued a fresh Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) extending its ban on Indian-registered and Indian-operated aircraft over-flying Pakistani airspace until 23 January 2026. The previous restriction was due to lapse on 24 December but has been rolled over for another month, underscoring the depth of the bilateral freeze since the April Pahalgam terror attack.
The prohibition applies to both Karachi and Lahore Flight Information Regions, effectively closing the shortest Europe-India corridor and forcing Indian carriers to detour via Iran or the Gulf. Air India estimates that each westbound flight now incurs 20-40 minutes of extra flying time and up to US $20,000 in additional fuel burn, crew duty and over-flight fees.
Corporate itineraries are also taking a hit. A Bengaluru–London round trip that once clocked 11 hours each way can now take closer to 12, increasing jet-lag risk and curtailing productive hours on short-haul business trips. Mobility managers should verify whether flight-time extensions push travellers beyond policy thresholds that trigger premium-cabin eligibility or additional rest days.
![Pakistan prolongs air-space ban on Indian aircraft to 23 January 2026, raising route-costs]()
While airlines and travellers grapple with longer routes, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can at least remove some administrative friction. The platform streamlines visa applications for more than 200 destinations, offers real-time status tracking, and provides corporate dashboards that help mobility teams quickly adapt documentation when itineraries or transit points are rearranged at short notice.
In the medium term, Indian airlines are lobbying for alternate routings through Chinese or Central-Asian airspace, but those options carry their own geopolitical complexities and require bilateral agreements. Cargo operators fear that extended block times could squeeze belly-hold capacity just as the pre-Chinese-New-Year shipping rush begins.
Travel insurers have reminded policy-holders that missed connections attributable to political NOTAMs may be treated differently from weather delays; firms should review wording before assuming automatic cover.
The prohibition applies to both Karachi and Lahore Flight Information Regions, effectively closing the shortest Europe-India corridor and forcing Indian carriers to detour via Iran or the Gulf. Air India estimates that each westbound flight now incurs 20-40 minutes of extra flying time and up to US $20,000 in additional fuel burn, crew duty and over-flight fees.
Corporate itineraries are also taking a hit. A Bengaluru–London round trip that once clocked 11 hours each way can now take closer to 12, increasing jet-lag risk and curtailing productive hours on short-haul business trips. Mobility managers should verify whether flight-time extensions push travellers beyond policy thresholds that trigger premium-cabin eligibility or additional rest days.
While airlines and travellers grapple with longer routes, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can at least remove some administrative friction. The platform streamlines visa applications for more than 200 destinations, offers real-time status tracking, and provides corporate dashboards that help mobility teams quickly adapt documentation when itineraries or transit points are rearranged at short notice.
In the medium term, Indian airlines are lobbying for alternate routings through Chinese or Central-Asian airspace, but those options carry their own geopolitical complexities and require bilateral agreements. Cargo operators fear that extended block times could squeeze belly-hold capacity just as the pre-Chinese-New-Year shipping rush begins.
Travel insurers have reminded policy-holders that missed connections attributable to political NOTAMs may be treated differently from weather delays; firms should review wording before assuming automatic cover.
