India lifts restrictions on its airspace along Pakistan border

11 entry and exit point were opened but flights will only be able to use the airspace once Pakistan opens its airspace

India on Friday announced the lifting of restrictions on its airspace along the Pakistan border, Hindustan Times reported. The restrictions on air traffic were imposed in February after a surge in hostilities between the neighbouring countries.

#Information : Temporary restrictions on all air routes in the Indian airspace, imposed by the Indian Air Force on 27 Feb 19, have been removed.

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) May 31, 2019

The country opened 11 entry and exit points but flights will only be able to use the airspace once Pakistan opens its airspace, a senior official of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) told Hindustan Times.

Sushma’s flight to Bishkek was over Pakistani airspace

"We have informed International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and now they will hold consultations with Pakistan. The day Pakistan decides to remove restrictions, flight operations will resume,” the official added.

“This basically is a signal from India that we are willing to lift restrictions and that Pakistan should reciprocate,” an official told The Times of India.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) official stated that the temporary restrictions were in place on the direction of the air force.

Pakistan closed its airspace in February after a suicide bombing in Indian-occupied Kashmir sparked tensions between the neighbours.

Following the attack, warplanes from the two countries also fought a dogfight over Kashmir.

Partial operations at Pakistani airports resumed after the crisis eased, but foreign carriers using Indian airspace could not fly over Pakistan.

Pakistan lies in the middle of a vital aviation corridor and the airspace restrictions impact hundreds of commercial and cargo flights each day, adding flight time for passengers and fuel costs for airlines.

With additional input from Reuters