India closes skies to Pakistani airlines

India has announced the closure of its airspace to all Pakistani-registered civil and military aircraft amid escalating tensions between the countries.

This is reported by India TV.

The restriction will be in effect from April 30 to May 23, 2025. It was introduced six days after Pakistan closed its skies to all flights belonging to Indian airlines.

A new round of conflict between the two nuclear powers began after gunmen killed 26 tourists near the resort town of Pahalgam in Kashmir.

India called it a "terrorist attack" with "cross-border" links, accusing Pakistan of supporting the incident. Islamabad denies involvement in the attack. An unknown militant group, the Kashmir Resistance, claimed responsibility for the attack.

In response to the killings, New Delhi suspended a key water-sharing agreement with Pakistan, closed the only land border crossing between the countries, reduced the number of diplomatic staff and cancelled all visas issued to Pakistani citizens. Pakistan then cancelled visas issued to Indian citizens, closed its airspace to all Indian-owned or operated airlines and suspended all trade with India. Pakistani authorities warned that any Indian attempt to stop or divert the flow of water would be considered an “act of war”.

India and Pakistan are now on the brink of a new armed conflict that could have “unforeseen consequences”, experts interviewed by The New York Times say. A similar attack in 2019 brought them to the brink of war, but they did not go that route then. Now the escalation is on a larger scale, analysts say.

• On the morning of April 30, Pakistan reported that India wanted to launch military action within the next 24-36 hours.
• On April 22, armed militants opened fire on a group of tourists near the town of Pahalgam, located in the Indian-controlled part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. 26 people were killed. A previously unknown militant group calling itself the “Kashmir Resistance” claimed responsibility for the attack. India blames Pakistan, which denies the charge.

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