India-Pakistan tension: What is airspace & how do countries control it?

Every country has an invisible shield in the sky. Just like it controls its land and seas, every country manages the airspace above it. This controlled space is called airspace. No plane can fly through it without that country’s permission. So, how is the sky organised? Think of the sky like a big upside-down cake. The cake is divided into pieces, with each country managing its own piece — this is called a Flight Information Region.

The sky is also stacked in layers, from the ground all the way up. Planes fly at different heights - different layers of the cake. The lower layers, near airports and cities, are more strictly controlled. Higher layers, where big jets fly, are still managed but are less strict, unless near a border or sensitive area. After the deadly attack in Kashmir, India decided to close its airspace to Pakistani airlines.

This means: Pakistani planes can’t fly in any of the layers over India. The result? Higher costs, longer journeys for Pakistani passengers and airlines. Because now they will have to take a detour through Sri Lanka or other alternative routes. But closing airspace isn’t just a travel issue. It’s a powerful political message as well — a way for countries to apply pressure without firing a single shot.

EAM Speaks to South Korean counterpart

Amid ongoing tensions, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul and is understood to have conveyed India's policy of "zero tolerance" towards terrorist.

The external affairs minister has already spoken to his counterparts from eight other non-permanent member nations of the UN Security Council. Jaishankar's phone conversations with foreign ministers of the non-permanent member nations of the UN Security Council assumes significance as Pakistan is also a member of the influential UN body for the 2025-26 period.