Guwahati: Amid escalating tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has closed its airspace for Indian airlines, prompting the Indian airlines to reroute several of their long-haul flights.
Due to the restriction, Indian carriers such as IndiGo and Air India on Thursday announced that their flights operating on international routes will be taking an alternative extended route.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Air India, on its official social media handle X, confirmed that the closure of Pakistan’s airspace will affect flights traveling to and from regions including North America, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
“Due to the announced restriction of Pakistan airspace for all Indian airlines, it is expected that some Air India flights to or from North America, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East will take an alternative extended route. Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen airspace closure that is outside our control. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains our top priority,” the airline noted.
Meanwhile, Indigo has also issued an advisory stating that a few international flights might be affected.
“In view of the ongoing situation and Pakistan airspace closure, a few international flight schedules may be impacted. We’re working to minimise the inconvenience”, the airline on its social media handle X stated.
According to the agency reports, Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC), led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, convened a high-level emergency meeting on Thursday afternoon and approved the immediate closure of Pakistani airspace for Indian aircraft.