Iran tensions: Flights using Pakistani airspace dip by 50%

Decline in planes overflying within borders will negatively impact country’s revenue

LAHORE:

Following the escalation of tensions between Islamabad and Tehran following a recent Iranian attack in a village in Balochistan’s Panjgur district, a record reduction – almost by 50% -- has been witnessed in flights using Pakistani airspace.
Aviation sources said only 450 flights used Pakistan’s airspace on Thursday.

They added that normally, 700 to 750 flights per day use Pakistani airspace. According to the sources, airlines pay the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in dollars for using Pakistani airspace. The decline in the overflying of flights within Pakistani borders will have a negative impact on the country’s revenue.

According to a statement issued by a CAA spokesperson, all flights using Pakistani airspace were monitored under standard operating procedures. The spokesperson added that there were no restrictions on air traffic from any direction using Pakistani airspace.

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A day earlier, Pakistan carried out a series of “highly coordinated” and “specifically targeted, precision” strikes against hideouts inside the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan used by the terrorists, who were responsible for the recent attacks in the country, according to the military’s media wing and Foreign Office.

On Tuesday, Iranian authorities claimed to have carried out airstrikes at a militant camp being operated by the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s Panjgur district, killing two children. However, both sides appeared to signal a desire to keep the situation contained, with the Foreign Office emphasising dialogue and cooperation to confront common challenges.

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The tit-for-tat strikes are the highest-profile cross-border intrusions in recent years and have raised alarm over wider instability in the Middle East since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted on October 7. In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch reiterated that Pakistan fully respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran.

"Iran is a brotherly country and the people of Pakistan have great respect and affection for the Iranian people. We have always emphasised dialogue and cooperation in confronting common challenges, including the menace of terrorism, and will continue to endeavour to find joint solutions," the spokesperson added.

The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), also echoed similar gestures by saying that going forward, dialogue and cooperation were deemed prudent in resolving bilateral issues between the two neighbouring brotherly countries.