India’s airline industry has asked the Centre to give at least six months’ advance notice before imposing airspace restrictions for recurring events such as Republic Day, saying that last-minute announcements force flight schedule changes, cancellations and inconvenience for passengers.In a representation to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) said these restrictions occur every year and are largely predictable, but notices are often issued only shortly before the events, leaving airlines and airports little time to plan operations.Besides, FIA said that NOTAMs often undergo multiple revisions as the event dates approach, requiring repeated replanning by airlines.The FIA also pointed to instances where airspace restrictions imposed for reserve or backup days were withdrawn at the last minute despite no activity taking place.“As a result, airlines are forced to undertake unnecessary schedule changes and flight cancellations even when no airspace activity is carried out,” the federation said.Furthermore, the industry body has recommended that such recurring restrictions be incorporated into the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) and issued at least six months in advance.According to FIA, advance publication would allow airlines to avoid opening flights for sale during impacted time windows and provide adequate time for schedule adjustments, thereby reducing passenger inconvenience.Notably, the issue was discussed by FIA with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).As per the federation, the IAF supported the proposal, stating that near-permanent events such as Republic Day celebrations and Aero India could be included in AIP India.The Air Force, FIA noted, said that such inclusion would assist planners across the Ministry of Defence, Airports Authority of India and airline operators in streamlining slot allocation and operational planning.Additionally, IAF suggested that the matter be taken up with the Airports Authority of India and the MoCA for consideration, the industry body said.However, FIA noted that AAI said airspace closures for events such as Republic Day and Independence Day require approvals from the Ministry of Home Affairs and other security agencies.Meanwhile, the federation pointed out that airport operators have cited that final dates and timings are often confirmed only after consultations with multiple agencies, resulting in last-minute modifications.As a result, such restrictions currently do not qualify for inclusion in the electronic AIP.Nevertheless, AAI, FIA said, indicated that once the dates and timings are finalised sufficiently in advance by the concerned agencies, these annual events may qualify for inclusion in the publication.Published on June 7, 2026