Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian border till June 14

TIL Desk/World/Islamabad/ Pakistan airspace on its border with India will remain closed till June 14, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority told today. Pakistan fully closed its airspace after an Indian Air Force strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26.

However, Pakistan opened its airspace for all flights except for New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur on March 27. In mid-April, it also opened one of its 11 air routes for west-bound flights from India, and airlines such as Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it. Foreign carriers using Indian airspace have been forced to take detours because they cannot fly over Pakistan. The closure mainly affects flights from Europe to Southeast Asia.

 “The closure will continue until June 14,” a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority said, without giving further details. Pakistan lies in the middle of a vital aviation corridor and the airspace restrictions impact hundreds of commercial and cargo flights each day, adding flight time for passengers and fuel costs for airlines.