Pakistan partially reopens airspace amid signs of easing tensions with India
- The Civil Aviation Authority said passengers should check with their airlines for more details
- The airspace closure disrupted major routes between Europe and South Asia
Pakistan’s civil aviation authority has partially reopened the country’s airspace, allowing travel to four major cities, another sign that tensions with India are de-escalating.
“We will open our airspace at six pm (1300 GMT) today” for inbound and outbound flights at Islamabad, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta airports, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesman Aamir Mehboob said.
Other airports would be opened “gradually”, he said. The CAA tweeted that passengers should check with their airlines for more details.
Both sides claimed to have shot each other’s warplanes down, and one Indian pilot was captured. Pakistan has vowed he will be returned to India on Friday in an overture towards New Delhi.
The airspace closure disrupted major routes between Europe and South Asia, with mounting frustration from passengers stranded at international airports.
Thai Airways cancelled nearly 30 flights, affecting 5,000 passengers. The decision affected services to London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen and Oslo.
