At least 192 international and domestic flights were cancelled or diverted from Pakistani airports on Wednesday and almost equal numbers of flights were expected to be cancelled on Thursday (today) as Pakistan has closed its airspace due to soaring tensions with India following the Pulwama incident.
“Pakistan’s airspace will remain closed from 7:30 AM-27th of February 2019 (Wednesday) to 11:59 PM-28th February 2019 (Thursday) until further notice,” a Civil Aviation Authority Pakistan (CAA) notification issued earlier in the day read. However, the authority later announced on a social media platform that the airspace has partially been restored, starting with Jinnah International Airport of Karachi. “Following flights have departed, WY324 KHI MCT, EK601 KHI DXB.
North East & North Western airspace remains closed until further notice,” it said in a tweet. Sources in the authority said the notification regarding closure of Pakistan’s airspace is still valid and the flight operations will remain suspended at all 26 airports of Pakistan till 12 PM Wednesday until further developments. At least 61 international and domestic flights were canceled or diverted from Jinnah International Airport Karachi on Wednesday till the filing of this report. From Karachi airport, at least 14 international flights could not take off on Wednesday while at least seven flights were stopped to land. Around 40 departures and arrivals of domestic flights were also cancelled.
Similarly, Pakistan’s second biggest airport – Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore – witnessed the same situation where over 50 flights were cancelled, of which 26 were international flights. At Islamabad International Airport, at least 28 international and domestic flights were cancelled. A spokesman of the CAA was unable to give any timeline for opening of the airspace for international and domestic routes. Also, at least six airports were shut in India, including those of Srinagar, Jammu and Leh in Kashmir, and Amritsar, Chandigarh and Dehradun. A vast area of airspace north of New Delhi was also closed for civilian flights.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), industry group representing many of the world’s airlines, about 220 flights usually pass through Pakistani airspace each day between Europe and Southeast Asia. There are an estimated of 139 airfields in Pakistan.
Published in Daily Times, February 28th 2019.