KARACHI, March 02:
Flight operations at Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta airports resumed on Saturday after a temporary suspension of flights in the country amid escalating military tensions with neighbouring India.
According to spokesperson of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) flight to and from Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar and Karachi have resumed under restricted airspace.
”Good Morning #Pakistan, our airfields for commercial aviation are operational from Islamabad, Peshawar, Karachi & Quetta at the moment. Airfields within Gilgit Baltistan, Punjab & Sindh region to follow soon” CAA said in a tweet.
https://twitter.com/AirportPakistan/status/1101675834199293952
However, a decision regarding the resumption of flight operations at Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Multan airports will be taken at a later time, the spokesperson said
Flight operations will remain suspended at Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Multan airports till 1pm March 4, CAA had announced on Friday.
The CAA had temporarily restored Pakistani airspace for commercial aviation on Thursday, allowing some flights to depart as air traffic over the country remained suspended amid escalating tensions with India.
INP adds: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the national flag carrier to bring back the Pakistanis stranded abroad as soon as possible. The PIA chief executive officer is supervising the operations, while leaves of the airline’s staff have been cancelled.
Sources said the passengers who had to travel from Lahore were being sent to Peshawar and Islamabad airports, as Lahore airport will become functional at 1:00pm on Monday.
The Civil Aviation Authority sources said 36 local and international flights scheduled to depart from Lahore airport on Saturday were cancelled, while 38 flights scheduled to arrive at Lahore airport were also cancelled.
Federal Minister for Aviation and Privatization Muhammad Mian Soomro directed to bring back Pakistanis from Gulf countries on priority.
Those Umrah pilgrims and passengers were being given priority, whose visas were about to expire, said sources. A large number of Pakistani passengers remained stranded at Bangkok airport on Friday as India restrained flights travelling to Pakistan from using its airspace.
According to a video clip uploaded on a social media platform by one of the stranded travelers, about 3,000 Pakistanis are still stranded in the Thai capital as India closed its airspace for flights traveling to Pakistan.
