Pakistan’s Airspace Closure Disrupts Travel, Sparks Concern Among Passengers
Passengers traveling to and from India are facing delays and uncertainty after Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian airlines starting April 24, a retaliatory move following the Pahalgam terror attack.
SK Kapahi, Director of Sri Guru Ram Dass International Airport in Amritsar, confirmed that only Indian-registered carriers have been impacted by the closure. “International airlines have not been affected so far,” he noted.
The consequences, however, are being felt by travelers across the globe. A woman flying from Toronto to New Delhi on April 27 experienced a delay of over 20 hours due to the closure. Her husband, Paramvir Singh, who resides in Toronto, said the flight was booked months in advance with Air India, expecting a non-stop journey from Toronto (YYZ) to Delhi (DEL).
“Air India only notified us about the delay on the morning of April 27 — too late to make alternate arrangements,” he said. The passenger endured a two-hour wait at a congested check-in counter, shared with another delayed flight, only to learn of further postponements. The rerouted flight, avoiding Pakistan's airspace, extended the original 13-hour journey to over 16 hours, eventually landing at 10 p.m. on April 28 — a full 20 hours behind schedule due to cascading delays and air traffic congestion.
In response to growing concerns, Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu stated on Monday that the government is in close coordination with airlines to mitigate the disruption for Indian travelers.
The closure has also led many to rethink their travel plans altogether. Gurpreet Singh, a California-based businessman originally from Punjab, said he has postponed his vacation to Kashmir. “I usually fly through Amritsar, but the airspace restrictions raise serious concerns about safety and travel feasibility. With tensions rising between India and Pakistan, I’m not comfortable flying to the region right now,” he explained.
As diplomatic tensions continue to affect air travel logistics, uncertainty looms over thousands of passengers who had planned international or domestic trips through Indian carriers.
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