New Delhi, India – May 1, 2021:
The airspace between India and Pakistan has become the latest battleground in their ongoing conflicts, as India imposed a ban on Pakistani airlines starting April 30, following a retaliatory action by Islamabad earlier this week.
This decision, mentioned in a notice to airmen (notam), was made just a few days after pakistan closed its airspace to indian carriers, as a reaction to a tragic attack in kashmir that resulted in the loss of 26 tourists’ lives. The incident has reignited decades-old tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, with both countries now employing airspace restrictions as diplomatic leverage.
We will not tolerate any method that does not include them
The ban was in effect from April 30 to May 23.
Impact: disturbance of flight routes in the region, longer travel times, and increased expenses for both domestic and international airlines.
Tensions heightened following India’s accusation that militants based in Pakistan were responsible for the Kashmir attack.
Experts in the aviation industry caution that the prolonged dispute between India and Pakistan could have far-reaching consequences, impacting air travel in the region and beyond.
As tensions escalate in the region, the skies over south asia continue to be filled with turbulence, both in terms of weather and diplomatic relations.