Pakistan restricts airspace ahead of India's tri-services drill; India's NOTAM from Oct 30 to Nov 11

New Delhi: Pakistan has issued a notice restricting airspace movement and effectively cutting off flight paths over its southern and central regions later this month. In a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM), Islamabad said several air routes would be closed for civilian traffic on October 28-29, without citing any reason.

The development comes days after India issued a similar notification for a tri-services exercise in the South Western Sector - covering Rajasthan, Gujarat, and parts of the Arabian Sea.

India's NOTAM, effective from October 30 to November 11, restricts air movement below 28,000 feet for the duration of the exercise, which is expected to primarily involve the Army, with support from the Air Force and mobilisation of naval assets.


No official details of the planned exercise have been released yet. It may be noted that the Army recently held its Commanders' Conference in Rajasthan, which included a visit by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Longewala - the site of a major 1971 war battle that ended with the rout of Pakistani armour.