The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has announced the restoration of air traffic across major routes, while a few routes are to remain closed for another 24 hours, as per a revised notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the PAA.
The authority had earlier announced a complete closure of Pakistan’s airspace in the aftermath of a military confrontation between India and Pakistan on Tuesday night. The airspace was initially closed for 48 hours, and all flights were cancelled, with passengers advised to return home.
The military confrontation between Pakistan and India began a little after 1am on Wednesday when India launched late-night airstrikes at six sites in Pakistan’s Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The attack resulted in 26 civilian casualties and over 40 injuries.
In retaliation, Islamabad took down five Indian jets. According to military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, several Indian check posts were destroyed in response. Subsequently, the PAA announced that Pakistan’s airspace was closed for all airlines.
On Wednesday evening, the PAA issued a revised NOTAM, stating that the airspace in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi has now been fully restored. In a separate notice, it added that certain parts of the air traffic route in the Lahore Flight Region would remain closed at all altitudes for operational reasons until 12:20pm on May 9.
Speaking to Dawn.com, PAA spokesperson Saifullah Khan explained that only a few routes between Lahore and Islamabad will remain closed, but other routes between the two cities would remain functional.
Flights arriving or departing from Islamabad International Airport must contact Islamabad Air Traffic Control (ATC) before operating their engines to ensure clearance.
Separately, the PAA said in a statement that all airports across Pakistan will remain fully operational. The statement added that the country’s airspace continues to be open and secure for civil aviation activities.
Pakistan has formally conveyed its concerns to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regarding the serious risks posed to civil aviation safety by India’s reckless and provocative actions, the statement read.
Earlier on Wednesday, the British Foreign Office issued a travel advisory advising against all but essential travel to Pakistan, while Qatar Airways temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan.
Several Asian airlines said they were re-routing or cancelling flights to and from Europe because of the fighting, Reuters reported.
The airlines included Thai Airways, Vietnam Airlines and Taiwan’s China Airlines and EVA Air.
With additional input from Imtiaz Ali
