CAA announces phased opening of airspace from Friday evening

KARACHI: Pakistan’s airspace will be opened in a phased process from Friday (today), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.

According to ARY News, the CAA has issued a Notice to the Airmen (NOTAM).

A spokesperson of CAA has said that the airports will become operational from 6:00 at this evening for commercial flights, and in the first phase flight operations will resume at Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta airports in the country.

The decision about resumption of flights at Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad and other airports will be taken later.

The CAA spokesperson said that initially domestic flights will resume, while the national airline will start its flight operations from 12:00 at midnight.

The arrival of flights from the overseas will also begin in the night, the spokesperson said.

Pakistan’s airspace was closed from Wednesday and flight operations were suspended in the country, due to escalation of tensions with neighboring India.

Two warplanes of India were downed by Pakistan Air Force after their intrusion in the country’s airspace.

All domestic and international flights were suspended at the airports of the country including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Multan.

Indian media had also reported suspension of flights in Occupied Kashmir and India’s Punjab having border with Pakistan.

Tensions escalated after Indian government officials’ war mongering statements after Pulwama bombing incident. The statements meant to create an anti-Pakistan hysteria in country to achieve political gains against the opponents in the upcoming general election in India.