Pakistan Airspace
FIR: OPKR (Karachi) / OPLR (Lahore) · Last updated: April 2026
Current Status
Pakistan closed its airspace to all Indian carriers in April 2025 following a major escalation in bilateral tensions. This closure of the OPKR (Karachi) and OPLR (Lahore) FIRs to Indian-registered aircraft has forced massive rerouting for one of the world's busiest aviation corridors between India and Europe/Middle East.
For non-Indian carriers, Pakistani airspace remains operational with standard ATC services. However, the military tensions along the India-Pakistan border create a dynamic risk environment, particularly for the Lahore FIR (OPLR) where military activity is concentrated near the Line of Control.
Indian airlines now route via Oman and Iran (itself restricted) or through the Arabian Sea corridor, adding 1-3 hours to Europe-bound flights. This has significantly increased operating costs for Air India, IndiGo, and other Indian carriers serving European and Middle Eastern destinations.
Key Risks
Ongoing military standoff along the border creates risk of escalation that could affect broader airspace operations.
Nationality-based airspace restrictions create operational complexity and potential for misidentification or enforcement errors.
Increased military air patrols and exercises near the Indian border, with dynamic restricted areas in the OPLR FIR.
Potential for rapid full airspace closure to all traffic if tensions escalate, as occurred briefly in February 2019.
Recent Events
Pakistan maintained closure to Indian carriers. No diplomatic progress on reopening reported.
Pakistan closed OPKR and OPLR FIRs to all Indian-registered aircraft, effective immediately.
India-Pakistan tensions escalated following border incidents, prompting military buildup on both sides.
Precedent: Pakistan fully closed airspace for several days in February 2019 during the 2019 regional crisis, affecting 400+ daily flights.
EASA & FAA Guidance
EASA has not issued a formal CZIB for Pakistani airspace but has published an information bulletin regarding the India-Pakistan situation. The FAA advises US operators to monitor the situation and maintain contingency routing plans. Airlines should verify current NOTAM status before flight planning through Pakistani FIRs.
Related
This page provides publicly available information about airspace conditions. Always consult official sources (ICAO, EASA, FAA) for operational decisions.