Pakistan shuts airspace; Air India, IndiGo to reroute

New Delhi: Leading airline companies Air India and IndiGo on Thursday announced that their international flights will take an alternative extended route after Pakistan closed its airspace for India amid rising diplomatic tensions after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, reports IANS.

Air India said that due to the announced restriction of Pakistan airspace for all Indian airlines, some Air India flights to or from North America, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East are expected to take an alternative extended route.

"Air India regrets the inconvenience our passengers were caused by this unforeseen airspace closure that is outside our control. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority,” the airline said in a post on social media platform X.

Meanwhile, IndiGo also said in a post on X that due to Pakistan's sudden announcement of airspace closure, "a few of our international flights are being impacted".

"We understand the inconvenience this may cause, and our teams are doing their best to help you reach your destination at the earliest. We encourage you to check the latest flight status. If your flight is impacted, please explore flexible rebooking options or claim a refund through our website," said the low-cost carrier in its update on social media.

The high-level emergency meeting of Pakistan's National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday afternoon, seconded the recommendations made by the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs and decided to immediately close its airspace for India.

Islamabad also said that India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will be considered an "act of war", stating that Pakistan will use its national power to tackle any unilateral decision taken by India in this matter.