The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan has officially issued a Notam (notice to the aviators) announcing the closure of their airspace to the airlines registered in India, after Islamabad’s decision to suspend the overflow permits in response to the increase in tensions with New Delhi, said Express News.
The airspace restriction applies to all civil and military aircraft registered in India, as well as leased or operated aircraft by Indian aircrafts. The CAA declared that the ban will initially remain in force for a month.
“This action means that Indian airlines will not be able to use Pakistani airspace,” reads the notification. “The restriction includes civil and military airplanes, along with planes leased under Indian operational control.”
The measure is expected to significantly affect the Indian airlines, with daily bilateral flying ranging from 70 to 100. The flights of the main Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Goa and Lucknow routinely use the Pakistani airspace on the route to the destinations in the Middle East, Europe and beyond.
Indian carriers affected by the ban include Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, Spicejet and Akasa Air. The closure will add up to two hours of flight time and result in millions of rupees in additional operating costs every day, aviation analysts estimate.
