Pakistan has closed its airspace to all flights between 3:15 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. local time on May 10, 2025, the Civil Aviation Authority announced Saturday. The closure comes following reports of explosions late Friday near Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi and at multiple locations across Lahore, according to local broadcaster Samaa TV.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have sharply escalated over the past week. On Tuesday, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.
In response, Pakistan reportedly attempted to strike multiple Indian military installations using drones and missiles during the night of May 7–8. The Indian Ministry of Defence said on Thursday that the Indian Armed Forces responded by striking several Pakistani air defense radars and related systems.
On Friday, India criticized Pakistan for failing to close its airspace during its initial offensive, accusing Islamabad of “using civil airliners as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response.”
At a press briefing, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force (IAF) said, “Pakistan refrained from shutting down its civil airspace despite carrying out an unprovoked and unsuccessful drone and missile attack on Indian cities. This shows a clear and dangerous tactic of using civilian airliners as shields, fully aware that India’s air defense forces would respond robustly.”
Also Read: India repels Pakistani attacks for 2nd night in a row
Meanwhile, India has closed 32 airports across northern and western regions, including Srinagar and Amritsar, for civilian flight operations.
The closure will be effective from “May 9, 2025, to May 14, 2025 (which corresponds to 0529 IST on 15th May 2025), due to operational reasons,” Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DCGA) said in a release.
