India Retaliates for Pahalgam Attack by Shutting 25 Air Routes to Pakistan

In response to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the Government of India has taken a significant retaliatory measure by announcing the indefinite closure of approximately 25 air routes that enable access from Indian to Pakistani airspace. This development follows the successful execution of "Operation Sindoor" by Indian armed forces.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated since the April 24 Pahalgam attack. On April 30, India had already banned Pakistani airlines from using its airspace. This came after Pakistan, in a retaliatory move, had prohibited Indian aircraft from entering its airspace just two days after the attack.

Due to India's latest decision, international airlines operating flights that typically pass over Indian airspace en route to Pakistan will now be compelled to take longer, alternative routes. Authorities confirmed that the suspension of these 25 air corridors is indefinite. International aviation operators have been advised to redesign their flight paths in order to entirely bypass Pakistani airspace following departure from Indian territory.

As per aviation regulations, any airline using a country’s airspace is required to pay an overflight fee to that country's civil aviation authority. In India, this responsibility lies with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which manages Air Traffic Management Services (ATMS) for both Indian airspace and the adjoining maritime areas.

The decision has had immediate global ramifications. Several international carriers, including United Airlines and Korean Air, have rerouted or cancelled flights that pass near or over Pakistani airspace. Domestic air travel within both India and Pakistan has also been affected. According to data sourced by Reuters from FlightRadar24, as of 10:30 AM on Wednesday, approximately 3 percent of scheduled flights in India and 17 percent in Pakistan were cancelled.