Flight data shows Pakistan kept airspace open during strikes, closed only after Indian retaliation

Since the onset of military conflict between India and Pakistan on May 7, Islamabad kept its civilian airspace open, even in areas close to the Indian border. 

Flight data from flightradar24 showed commercial airlines continued to operate through Pakistani airspace without restrictions until early Saturday, even after both countries resorted to missile and drone attacks. In contrast, India had shut its airspace in regions bordering Pakistan and also announced the closure of 32 airports in the northern part of the country amid escalating tensions. 

At approximately 3 am on Saturday, flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed international flights departing from Lahore continuing to operate within Pakistani airspace. Additionally, a domestic flight from Islamabad to Karachi and another from Lahore were observed in the air, despite the heightened risk of missile attacks during that period.

It wasn’t until India launched missile strikes on three Pakistani airbases early Saturday that Pakistan moved to shut its airspace for civilian airlines. 

New Delhi on the other hand restrained to caution as it was aware of Islamabad's intentions to use civilian airlines as a shield against retaliatory strikes.

"Pakistan’s irresponsible behaviour has again come to the fore. It did not close its civil airspace despite launching a failed, unprovoked drone and missile attack on May 7 at 8:30 pm," said Wing Commander Vyomika Singh during a press briefing on Friday. “Pakistan is using a civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response," she added.

Meanwhile, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi also addressed the situation, saying that while Indian airspace was closed to civilian airlines, Pakistan continued to allow flights between Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, cities located close to the Indian border and categorised as high-risk zones. She also presented flight-tracking data showing civilian aircraft operating in Pakistani airspace during drone and missile strikes, even after Islamabad claimed to have closed its airspace on Wednesday.

Pakistan had initially announced a 48-hour airspace closure on Wednesday following the intensifying conflict. However, it was only after India’s missile strikes on Saturday that commercial flights at Lahore and Islamabad airports were suspended entirely.