Flight operations to remain on hiatus for 24 more hours at few airports: CAA

KARACHI: Flight operations will remain on hiatus for an additional 24 hours at few airports across Pakistan, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Thursday. 

According to the aviation authority, flight operations will remain suspended at Rahim Yar Khan, Sialkot, Skardu, Gilgit and Sukkur airports for another 24 hours.

Pakistan’s airspace will be completely reopened on March 8 at 1pm, CAA added.

The authority explained that operations at those airports where flight operations have already resumed will continue as per normal schedule till 5am on March 15.

“Flight operations will run as per schedule at Chitral, Multan, Karachi, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore and Islamabad airports till 5am on March 15,” CAA said.

In the wake of soaring tension between Pakistan and India, the Civil Aviation Authority announced a complete suspension of flight operations for all domestic and international airlines across Pakistan on Feb 27. Lately, the hostile situation has been gradually diluting between the two neighbouring countries , therefore, the CAA has resumed flight operations countrywide except Rahim Yar Khan, Sialkot, Skardu, Gilgit and Sukkur.

Indian media had also reported suspension of flights in occupied Kashmir and India’s Punjab having border with Pakistan. The civilian air traffic was also suspended at Srinagar airport as Pakistan and India were involved in a rare aerial standoff in February’s last week.