No fly zone as Pakistani government closes it's airspace; several flights delayed
Pakistan initially closed its airspace for 48 hours after India's Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorist places, leading toto multiple flight delays. Lahore's airspace was once again closed, even though restrictions were temporarily removed. Flights were changed by multiple international carriers.
New Delhi (India) May 8:The Pakistani government closed the airports in Lahore and Islamabad. India's military strike on terror targets was immediately followed by this operation. Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were the locations of the strike. India started Operation Sindoor. It was a reaction to the terror attack in Pahalgam. The ICAO was informed of the Pakistan Airports Authority's concerns. The airport in Karachi is still open in spite of the restriction of the airspace.
The Pakistani government limited the airspace for all commercial planes at the airports in Lahore and Islamabad late on Wednesday. In a statement released late Wednesday evening, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said that all commercial flights at the airports in Lahore and Islamabad weren't allowed from using the country's airspace. However, the airport in Karachi is open.
Due to this sudden closure, until further notice, no civilian aircraft will be able to land or take off from Islamabad International Airport or Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport, the nation's two busiest airports.
Airlines are expected to provide updates and reschedule flights shortly, leaving passengers who were originally planned to travel via these airports in a state of confusion.
Due to ongoing security tensions, aviation authorities once again banned air operations in Lahore for an additional 24 hours, after a brief return to normalcy in various parts of the country.
At Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, as delayed flights started to clear, there was an obvious rise in the number of people. Although they were watched more closely, most local and international services were restored.
The airspace closure came after India conducted precision attacks on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of "Operation Sindoor," however the government has not formally stated why. Since the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, tensions between the two nations have been on the rise.
Aadrika Tayal
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