16 July,2019 09:40 AM IST | | mid-day online desk
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Consequent to Pakistan on Tuesday issuing a notice to airmen (NOTAM) to lift all airspace restrictions, relevant authorities informed that India has also issued a revised NOTAM immediately thereafter. With this, normal air traffic operations have resumed through all Flight Information Regions between India and Pakistan, authorities added.
For the first time since February's Balakot strike, Pakistan opened its airspace for all civilian traffic, as per the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.
"With immediate effect, Pakistan airspace is open for all type of civilian traffic on published ATS routes," read a notice to airmen (NOTAM) issued by the authority.
The country had earlier claimed that it would not open its airspace for commercial flights until India removed its fighter jets from forwarding Indian airbases.
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Pakistan had shut its airspace on the eastern border with India after the Indian Air Force carried out aerial airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26.
The strikes on the terror camp were in response to the JeM-perpetrated terror attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on February 14, in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.
In mid-April, Pakistan opened one of its 11 air routes for westbound flights from India -- airlines like Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it.
In March, Pakistan partially opened its airspace but did not allow Indian flight to fly over its airspace.
Ever since Pakistan took the decision, foreign carriers using Indian airspace have been forced to take costly detours because they cannot fly over Pakistan. The closure mainly affects flights from Europe to Southeast Asia.
Pakistan lies in the middle of a vital aviation corridor whereby the airspace restrictions, which have been continuing since a long time, impacts hundreds of commercial flights per day, extending flight timings for passengers, as well as fuel costs for airlines.
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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from Agencies
