December 29, 2001	Saturday	Shawwal 13, 1422

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KARACHI, Dec 28: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Friday it would suspend flights to four Asian destinations because of India’s decision to ban Pakistan overflights from Tuesday.

PIA’s Chief Operating Office Khursheed Anwar told Reuters that weekly flights for Colombo, Maldives, Manila and Singapore would be suspended from Jan 1 pending further decision.

India decided on Thursday to halt PIA overflights, halve India’s diplomatic mission in Islamabad and Pakistan’s mission in New Delhi and restrict the movement of Pakistani diplomats.

PIA said around 23 of its weekly flights would be hit after the closure of Indian airspace.

“Operations for these countries would no longer be economically viable...while we will incur extra cost on Bangkok and Tokyo operations which will be carried out through Chinese airspace,” he added.

Anwar said PIA would face a drop of five per cent in its annual operational revenues, “which is negligible.”

PIA cut 15 per cent of its flights in October because of a sharp drop in air travel since the Sept 11 attacks on the United States.

Anwar said it had applied to India for permission to operate extra flights to New Delhi and Bombay before Jan 1 to bring Pakistanis home.

“If Indian authorities allow us, we would operate extra flights,” he added. PIA spokesman Imran Gardazi said India had asked the airlines to withdraw its staff in India within 48 hours after Jan 1.—Reuters