Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has confirmed that Pakistan’s decision to close its airspace to India earlier this year caused the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) a revenue loss of Rs4.1 billion.

Despite the setback, he made it clear in the National Assembly that safeguarding the country’s sovereignty remains the government’s top priority.

Speaking through a written reply during the Assembly’s Question Hour, Khawaja Asif said the restriction was in place from April 24 to June 30, 2025. The decision came amid the “Marka-e-Haq” — a tense period of heightened security concerns between Pakistan and India.

According to the minister, the closure impacted between 100 and 150 Indian flights each day, leading to a significant drop of nearly 20% in Pakistan’s overall air traffic. Most of the losses came from reduced overflying charges, a major source of revenue for the PAA.

Read More: Pakistan rejects Ukrainian allegations, urges peaceful resolution of Ukraine conflict

Before the tensions, Pakistan earned an average of $508,000 per day from foreign aircraft using its airspace. Khawaja Asif noted that while the revenue decline was substantial, “defending national sovereignty and security does not cost much compared to the value of protecting our homeland.”

He also reminded lawmakers of a similar move in 2019 when Pakistan shut its skies to India for several months, resulting in a loss of Rs7.6 billion for the PAA.

The minister further pointed out that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also faced operational difficulties as Indian airspace remains closed to Pakistani aircraft. This forced the airline to take longer routes, increasing fuel costs and travel time. Despite these challenges, PIA managed to maintain financial stability during the closure.