Officials said Pakistan submitted the request around 1 p.m. on December 1, citing urgent humanitarian assistance for Sri Lanka following Cyclone Ditwah. The clearance was issued at 5:30 p.m. via official diplomatic channels. New Delhi described the move as a “purely humanitarian” decision and dismissed Pakistani media claims that India had denied overflight permission as “baseless and misleading.”
The approval comes months after both countries shut their airspace to each other following heightened tensions triggered by the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Pakistan first barred Indian aircraft from entering its airspace on April 24, prompting India to respond with similar restrictions from April 30. Prior to the ban, up to 150 Indian flights used Pakistani airspace daily.
India’s latest decision marks a rare exception, granted even as Pakistan continues enforcing its own ban on Indian carriers.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, is reeling from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah. The storm has left at least 334 people dead and 370 missing, while more than 1.1 million residents have been affected. Nearly 200,000 people have been displaced and are taking refuge in temporary shelters.
India has launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to support relief efforts, dispatching 53 tonnes of aid so far. Two Indian Navy ships have delivered food and essentials in Colombo, while three Indian Air Force aircraft are transporting another 31.5 tonnes of relief material, including tents, blankets, medicines, and hygiene kits. An 80-member NDRF team and a five-member medical unit have also been deployed, with additional supplies arriving via INS Sukanya in Trincomalee.
