Pakistan–India Airspace
Live status & airspace monitoring
Pakistan closed OPKR (Karachi FIR) and OPLR (Lahore FIR) to all Indian-registered civil carriers on April 24, 2025. The closure remains in effect with no public reopening date. Indian carriers continue to reroute India–Europe, India–Gulf, and India–Central Asia traffic via the OOMM (Muscat FIR) corridor, adding flight time to westbound rotations. Live status, FIR-by-FIR detail, and source lineage below are continuously verified by FlySafe Sentinel from primary aviation data sources.
Executive summary
No material change since the previous review: Lahore FIR (OPLR) remains effectively restricted based on sustained zero-traffic anomaly detection since 2026-03-31, per FlySafe Sentinel traffic anomaly detection. No formal closure NOTAM identified; status based on traffic anomaly detection. The next review window should prioritize live NOTAM retrieval for both OPKR and OPLR to confirm or update the status.
FIR-by-FIR status
| ICAO | Status | Last change | Source | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPLR | Effectively Restricted | 2026-03-31 | FlySafe Sentinel FIR Status Detection (zero_traffic anomaly) | 2026-06-02T02:57:57.118Z |
| OPKR | ADVISORY | No recent change detected | FlySafe Sentinel FIR Status Detection (avg 29-38 aircraft over recent snapshots) | 2026-06-02T02:57:57.118Z |
| VABF | Normal Operations | No anomaly detected | FlySafe Sentinel FIR Status Detection (avg 27.8 over 7d) | 2026-06-02T02:57:57.118Z |
| VECF | Normal Operations | No anomaly detected | FlySafe Sentinel FIR Status Detection (avg 39.3 over 7d) | 2026-06-02T02:57:57.118Z |
| VIDF | Normal Operations | No anomaly detected | FlySafe Sentinel FIR Status Detection (avg 76.0 over 7d) | 2026-06-02T02:57:57.118Z |
Regulatory context
Operators conducting flights through or near Pakistani airspace should reference ICAO Annex 11 §3.7.5 for FIR closure terminology, and ICAO Annex 15 §5.1 for NOTAM requirements. EU operators are subject to EASA CZIB advisories (per EASA Conflict Zone Information Bulletins, safety advisory, not regulatory mandate). US operators should consult FAA Advisory Circular 91-70B Section 5 (hostile actions guidance) per FAA Advisory Circular 91-70B. AIP entries for this FIR not currently captured; refer to state authority directly.
Source lineage
- FlySafe Sentinel FIR Traffic Snapshot retrieved 2026-06-02T02:57:57.118Z
- FlySafe Sentinel FIR Closure Detection retrieved 2026-06-02T02:57:56.500Z
- FlySafe Sentinel FIR Metadata retrieved 2026-06-02T02:57:57.052Z
- EASA CZIB retrieved 2026-06-02T02:57:57.074Z
Related Airspace & Reference
Update Log
- 2026-06-02 Status verified. Source lineage refreshed.
- 2026-05-26 Status verified. Source lineage refreshed.
- 2026-05-09 Migrated to FlySafe Sentinel continuous monitoring.
- 2026-04-21 Briefing initialised. Twelve-month airspace status update.
Pakistan–India Airspace — Frequently Asked Questions
Common search queries answered with current status, FIR codes, and source citations.
- Is Pakistan airspace open to Indian carriers in 2026?
- Pakistani airspace (OPKR — Karachi FIR, OPLR — Lahore FIR) has been closed to Indian-registered carriers since April 2025. The closure remains in effect with no public reopening date. Pakistan-registered carriers continue to operate in OPKR and OPLR, and third-country carriers continue to overfly Pakistani airspace.
- When did Pakistan close airspace to Indian airlines?
- Pakistan closed OPKR and OPLR FIRs to Indian-registered carriers in April 2025. The closure was implemented through Pakistani civil aviation authority NOTAMs and remains in continuous effect.
- How much does the Pakistan airspace closure cost Indian carriers?
- Specific cost figures cannot be independently verified at this time. Indian carriers serving Europe, the Middle East, and North America must reroute via the Arabian Sea or northern corridors, adding flight time, fuel burn, and crew duty hours. Operator-specific quantification depends on industry data subscriptions (IATA, OPSGROUP) which FlySafe currently does not access. Carrier disclosures and industry-press estimates have appeared in 2025 but vary widely.
- Which routes are affected by the Pakistan airspace closure?
- Indian carrier routes from northern India (DEL, BOM, MAA, BLR) to Europe, the Middle East, and North America are affected. Standard great-circle routings that previously crossed OPKR/OPLR are now flown via the Arabian Sea (south) or via northern corridors through China and Central Asia. Route choice depends on aircraft range, payload, and bilateral agreements.
- What are the FIR codes for Pakistan and India airspace?
- Pakistan: OPKR (Karachi FIR), OPLR (Lahore FIR). India: VIDF (Delhi FIR), VABF (Mumbai FIR), VECF (Kolkata FIR), VOMF (Chennai FIR). The closure applies bilaterally to OPKR/OPLR with respect to Indian-registered carriers; Indian FIRs remain open to all carriers including Pakistani.
FlySafe provides automated computation of numerical indices from publicly available data. Indices are raw computational output and do not represent opinions, assessments, recommendations, or advice of any kind. They do not replace official NOTAMs, SIGMETs, AIPs, or communications from aviation authorities. Operators must independently verify current airspace status through official channels. See Terms of Service for full details.