Pakistan clarifies its airspace remains open for Indian flights

Lahore, August 8

Pakistan on Thursday clarified that it has neither closed its airspace for India nor re-routed any route for the Indian flights.

“There has been no change to the notice to airmen (NOTAM) and all flights are being operated as per schedule issued earlier,” Civil Aviation Authority Pakistan spokesperson Mujtaba Baig told PTI.

“Pakistan has neither closed its airspace for India nor re-routed or closed down any route for the Indian flights,” he said.

Responding to a question about re-routing of a few routes as reported by the media, he said: “Not a single route has been re-routed after the latest tension between the two countries.”    

Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal also said that Pakistan had not banned its airspace for India. “We have not banned our airspace for India. It is open for Indian flights,” he told reporters in Islamabad.

There were reports that Pakistan had closed down a couple of routes for Indian flights following its decision to downgrade diplomatic ties with India in response to New Delhi’s move to revoke special status of Kashmir.

Pakistan on July 16 opened its airspace for India after some five months of restrictions imposed in the wake of a standoff with New Delhi earlier this year.

Following the Balakot air strikes, Pakistan had closed its airspace on February 26.

In March, Pakistan partially opened its airspace but kept it banned for the Indian flights. India also banned its airspace for flights to Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan had said the CAA suffered a loss of Rs 8.5 billion because of airspace restrictions since February. He said this restriction hit India harder than Pakistan.

“The loss of India is almost double,” he claimed. PTI