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EU agency warns airlines to exercise 'extreme caution' in Pakistan airspace

Dawn.com Published January 29, 2015
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The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a warning to national aviation authorities and aircraft operators to exercise "extreme caution" while flying in Pakistani airspace.

EASA – a European Union (EU) regulatory body working in the field of civilian aviation safety – issued a notice on its website stating that the "potential" of terrorist attacks in Pakistan has led to an increased risk for airlines.

The body's warning was based on the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (France) issuing a notice recommending that French operators should not fly below 24,000 feet inside Pakistani territory.

The complete EASA notice is below.

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PCG
Jan 29, 2015 04:44pm
This indicates that the credibility graph of Pakistan is extremely high among world community.
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rana
Jan 29, 2015 04:48pm
Last plan was shot down in UKrain
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Talking Point
Jan 29, 2015 04:49pm
Speaks volumes abt Pak airforce's ability to control its airspace.cAnd many still wonder why Obama did not come to Pak!
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Tick Tick
Jan 29, 2015 04:50pm
Good decission. Afterall it is the mater of human lives.
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Optimist
Jan 29, 2015 04:54pm
EU planes should also be extremely cautious of flying over Malaysia and Indonesia :)
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Hassan
Jan 29, 2015 04:54pm
I don't think that terrorists can bring down an aircraft.
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Ammar
Jan 29, 2015 05:03pm
That time is not far when we will be left with only option of PIA in order to travel to/from Pakistan... Thanks to our inept politicians
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Khalid Khan
Jan 29, 2015 05:04pm
Shame on the Europeans for issuing such warnings against Pakistan. This shows how biased and how much they hate us. I know that the last plane which was shot down was in European airspace and not Pakistani airspace, unless of course France considers Ukraine a part of Pakistan. .
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ishrat salim
Jan 29, 2015 05:09pm
Another feather in our cap...
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Siraj Ahmed
Jan 29, 2015 05:10pm
It means the EU thinks the operation Zarb-e_azb has failed. We are told by the establishment that the operation is successful. Never trust our media.
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Imtiaz
Jan 29, 2015 05:21pm
...a crow flying over Peshawar covers...
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Joker
Jan 29, 2015 05:24pm
I completely agree with EASA. The only contention is they have reacted very late.
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observer
Jan 29, 2015 05:27pm
Better to be safe than sorry, good decision by the French. This message has to be taken most seriously. As and when this nation becomes normal, we Pakistani's will be treated the way we deserve to be treated by others, this is just one more sorry example of what the world thinks of us, as a people, as nation, as a country.
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Sunil
Jan 29, 2015 05:34pm
There should be guards stationed at the both ends of the runway, or electrically fenced.
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Saad
Jan 29, 2015 05:38pm
Which European or french carrier to be specific flies to Pakistan anyway?
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Javed Sarfraz
Jan 29, 2015 05:40pm
ADVANCE WARNING. SOMETHING IS COOKING.
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DeshPremi
Jan 29, 2015 05:45pm
@rana Yes, and they don't want the next one to be over Pakistan. You urgently need to go after the root cause of this radicalism. Otherwise operations such as ZeA will just be band-aid.
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Jason
Jan 29, 2015 05:50pm
Everyone wants to stay away from Pakistan
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A man
Jan 29, 2015 05:55pm
No one even wants to fly over Pakistan now?
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khanm
Jan 29, 2015 05:56pm
It was the land that was supposed to be the most dangerous place on earth and now the air space...what about the other countries that allow their air space to be used to harm the securities of the region in general....Oh God!!! What kind of world we live in...if human kills a person we call it a murder and when they kill in millions they call it a strategy...
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Tan
Jan 29, 2015 05:59pm
@rana: You mean Plane?
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sameer
Jan 29, 2015 06:08pm
So much faith in Pakistan. They know this is sure to be happened.
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khan
Jan 29, 2015 06:11pm
A cautious decision, remembering they have warned about flying below 24000 ft. They don't want to wait for harm before issuing a warning!
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baakhlaq
Jan 29, 2015 06:12pm
But we can raise the walls and place barbed wires, why they change their strategy every time.
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yasmin
Jan 29, 2015 06:25pm
Terrorism is a global problem. Every air space is potentially dangerous. The last plane shot down was in Ukraine. Scare mongering biased bigots...why target Pakistan only? Oh well it still won't stop thousands of British Pakistanis like myself wanting to travel to the beautiful country. Death can come to you anywhere. A person is more likely to die of a road or heart attack than in the air. Besides terrorists can target any plane in any country's air space.
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m
Jan 29, 2015 06:26pm
Shows european ignorance and arrogance...
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jan
Jan 29, 2015 06:27pm
it shows that terrorist organizations are capable to bring down aircraft in pakistan. this is alarming for all of us.
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Khalid
Jan 29, 2015 06:30pm
What an interesting announcement. There is no European airline that flies to Pakistan or am I missing anything here?.
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Riaz
Jan 29, 2015 06:37pm
Any such incident on which this warning is based
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Adnan Anwar
Jan 29, 2015 06:48pm
There is no mention of this on European Union website
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rudraiah rajasekhar
Jan 29, 2015 06:49pm
@rana You mean PLANE ?
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Jor El
Jan 29, 2015 07:06pm
@Khalid Excuse me, how do u think Lufthansa flies between Delhi n Frankfurt ???
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DeshPremi
Jan 29, 2015 07:17pm
@Khalid Yes you are. An airplane can fly through Pakistani airspace even if is not flying to a Pakistani airport.
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Imran Khalid
Jan 29, 2015 07:20pm
This is just an advisory carrying one of the biases which west has been demonstrating time and again on one or the other pretext. Just ignore this! Number of east/west bound International flights pass through Pakistani air space.
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Tariq Ahmed
Jan 29, 2015 07:40pm
Not to worry brothers. Our friend China will still fly over our air.
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dipak
Jan 29, 2015 07:50pm
@rana Last Plane was Shot at in Peshawar as it was Landing. 1 Sept. 2014
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Qamar
Jan 29, 2015 08:02pm
Another feather in PMLN government's cap!!!
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Zainab
Jan 29, 2015 08:05pm
@rana not just that but also before that, a few air force/military ones were shot down, and there was no warning against!
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Z
Jan 29, 2015 08:07pm
@Imtiaz I suspect not many readers know what you mean ;)
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goggy
Jan 29, 2015 08:12pm
@Saad There may not be any European carrier coming to Pakistan, but definitely lots of them travel over the Pakistan's air space, the ones going to India, Sri-Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, China etc..
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shafqatmir
Jan 29, 2015 08:20pm
@Javed Sarfraz no body wants war, times are tough,even between hizbullah and israel
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RatFace
Jan 29, 2015 08:34pm
All respect ,along with all institutions in Pakistan are rapidly disintegrating. Even countries with Ebola are treated with more respect.
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Muhammad Shoaib
Jan 29, 2015 08:39pm
@Imtiaz you wrote, "...a crow flying over Peshawar covers..."-I don't understand this statement; will someone please explain this statement?
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phoenix
Jan 29, 2015 08:58pm
is anything yet left to make us hide our faces!!!These religious extremists are throwing us back to stoneage,,,
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Shafiq khan
Jan 29, 2015 09:01pm
Let us blame the foreigners, why change our practice. It does a good job of earning Pakistan a good name. Only those who are responsible for our safety are responsible. Wake up.
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rashid
Jan 29, 2015 09:07pm
Usually planes are shot down over Europe. Only a couple of months ago one was blown out of the skies while flying over Ukraine, killing hundreds of innocent civilians. Cut down on the hypocrisy.
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ALi
Jan 29, 2015 09:11pm
@ishrat salim I laughed so hard at your comment.
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Rahul
Jan 29, 2015 09:26pm
@Muhammad Shoaib only einstein can understand that.
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rabz
Jan 29, 2015 09:29pm
What ever Europe. . N the friendly neighbours
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Dipak
Jan 29, 2015 09:30pm
@rana 2nd Plane PIA 24th from Riyad to Peshawar June 2014 was shot as it was landing. Elderly Woman Killed. Scores of others Injured.
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DeshPremi
Jan 29, 2015 09:53pm
@Zainab Really??? There were numerous warnings about flying over Ukrainian airspace.
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Mr
Jan 29, 2015 09:57pm
@Jor El most of the europian airlines fly to Delhi
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HZR
Jan 29, 2015 10:10pm
@Saad This about flying over pakistan..not to Pakistan!
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rabz
Jan 29, 2015 10:21pm
No matter what they cook! Long live Pakistan. ..
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shamain
Jan 29, 2015 10:39pm
how does EU knows so well of militants capabilities?
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shamain
Jan 29, 2015 10:54pm
@phoenix people like you who are ready to hide their faces at drop of hat , shouldnt unhide them in the first place
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Nitin
Jan 29, 2015 10:58pm
@yasmin true, it can happen anywhere. May be they are looking from a probability perspective.
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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad
Jan 29, 2015 11:07pm
How about the airspace of Continent Europe itself where an unarmed civilian aircraft of Malaysian airline with recently shot down in Ukraine? May I ask the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) how many civilian aircrafts have been shot down recently in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan? What a serious joke?
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kris
Jan 29, 2015 11:36pm
@rashid Almost ever airline have restrictions on flying over Ukrain airspace.
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jg
Jan 29, 2015 11:59pm
That shows how ignorant and biased these countries are.what, people have SAMS now n pakistan. Preposterous
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jawad
Jan 30, 2015 12:12am
While it will be safe flying over Afghanistan,iraq,Syria,Somalia,Nigeria,Malaysia,Ukraine,Russia and Lebanon. Pakistan doesn't ask international airlines to fly over Pakistan, they do it to save time,fuel cost.
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jawad
Jan 30, 2015 12:16am
@DeshPremi ...Most of airlines from Europe fly through Pakistan into India.
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Prabin
Jan 30, 2015 12:18am
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad The damage has been done. You may keep protesting.
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Ero
Jan 30, 2015 01:26am
@Khalid they fly above Pakistan to India, China, Bangladesh, South East Asia etc
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Akhtar
Jan 30, 2015 01:58am
Utter nonsense from whomever issued the statement. Does not make any sense no logic to it.
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Cyrus Ho
Jan 30, 2015 02:36am
@Khalid Khan The Europeans are sorry Pakistan's feeling are hurt, but the fact remains that Pakistan, at this moment in history at least, is a lawless place. Pakistan is even unable to protect it's gas pipeline. Islamists do not care about the reputation of the nation or people's lives. They only care about punishing others.
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Cyrus Ho
Jan 30, 2015 02:38am
@observer "If you want to have a friend, be a friend." Carl Sandburg
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Ravi Vancouver
Jan 30, 2015 02:43am
@Javed Sarfraz Here comes conspiracy theory there shall be lot of takers for this, please give details if you have please.
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Cyrus Ho
Jan 30, 2015 02:57am
@Jason International Business does not want to invest money capital in unstable countries. Now businessmen do not even feel safe flying into Pakistan. This warning to airlines is just a manifestation of Pakistan's problems. Pakistan is becoming more and more isolated in the world.
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Cyrus Ho
Jan 30, 2015 03:18am
@yasmin Terrorism is a global problem. Even on the streets of East London, at Heathrow and in London tube stations.
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Cyrus Ho
Jan 30, 2015 03:26am
@Tariq Ahmed The Chinese people do not like Chinese Muslims. Especially the young Chinese. Believe it. China's relationship with Pakistan is strictly limited to their leaders and your leaders.
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Yousafzai
Jan 30, 2015 03:32am
I am rather surprised they were flying over our airspace in the first place. There is no need to take it as an offence, none of us would want an airplane being shot down (by whoever) over our airspace.
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Rajat
Jan 30, 2015 06:31am
@Akhtar Utter nonsense from whomever issued the statement. Does not make any sense no logic to it. ------------- With your madrasa knowledge, you can say that.
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PREM
Jan 30, 2015 07:41am
Dear friends, instead of analyzing rationale of this advisory please note the moot point underneath this move and that is Pakistan a lawless nation as per Western world. This image is the result of relentless involvement of Pakistan in afgan,Kashmir and India over decades instead of focusing on development and economic self reliance.High time to shun such policies and abandon leaders promoting them with their imaginary conspiracy theories.
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Gaiz
Feb 01, 2015 12:51am
@Khalid Khan some learn from their mistakes and take preautionary measures, some dont.
Recommend 0

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