The Pakis­tan Airports Authority (PAA) has lost Rs4.1 billion in just over two months after it closed its airspace to Indian-registered aircraft, media reports said.

According to reports, the information was revealed to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Defence.

The ministry was quoted as saying by Dawn News that the shortfall, from April 24 to June 30, was in overflying revenue and was lower than the reported Rs8.5bn.

Pakistan announced India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty on April 23.

Pakistan withdrew overflight permission for all Indian-registered aircraft and those operated, owned, or leased by Indian carriers from the next day.

As per Dawn News report, the measure affected 100 to 150 Indian aircraft daily, cutting transit traffic by almost 20 per cent. In 2019, a similar closure led to an estimated Rs7.6bn ($54m) revenue loss, compared to $100m previously reported.

The ministry apprised the parliament that such decisions, under the jurisdiction of the federal government, were issued through Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) and carried strategic and diplomatic weight to safeguard civilians, protect infrastructure, and allow military planning, the newspaper reported