Pakistan closes major airports, airspace
Islamabad: Pakistan has closed its airspace for commercial flights, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced on Wednesday amid escalating tensions with India.
The aviation authority made the announcement on Twitter after Major General Asif Ghafoor, Director General of the Pakistan Army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), acknowledged the closure of Pakistan’s airspace due to the security situation, Dawn News reported.
Flight operations at Lahore, Multan, Karachi, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Islamabad airports were suspended, the reports said. Peshawar’s Bacha Khan International Airport was also temporarily closed for commercial flights, according to airport officials.
The Peshawar international airport will be used for military purposes till it is reopened for commercial activities, an official told Dawn, adding that a red alert had also been issued.
“All civilian flight operations (have been) suspended,” the official said.
Dawn News cited officials at the Karachi airport as saying that Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) New Delhi-bound flight PK-270 had been cancelled due to tensions at the Line of Control.
Another PIA flight, PK-709, scheduled to leave for Manchester from Lahore, had also been stopped from taking off.