Pakistan, on Wednesday, once again extended the closure of airports in Sialkot, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur for all air traffic for an additional day, marking the third week of restricting the airspace.
A notification by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that the country’s airspace would remain closed for all overflying flights till Thursday, March 14. It further noted that operations for all international flights entering the eastern airspace through India would also remain suspended for at least one more day.
It was also said that the partially-restored operations at all active airports of the country would remain unchanged till March 22. Following tit-for-tat airstrikes between Pakistan and Indian air forces, Islamabad decided to suspend its airspace on February 27 while leaving thousands of travellers stranded at airports across the world. Flights between Asia and Europe were also disrupted as carriers were forced to reroute flights. Pakistan’s airspace was partially opened as tensions appeared de-escalating after it released an Indian pilot taken into custody by Pakistan’s armed forces after shooting down his warplane during an aerial clash over the Indian-occupied Kashmir.
Published in Daily Times, March 14th 2019.
