KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) confirmed on Tuesday that Iran has shut its airspace to Pakistani air craft due to a six-month backlog in transit payments.
PIA owes Iran close to $600,000 in past payments.
PIA officials said that the ban may affect the shorter route for flights carrying returning Hajis from Saudi Arabia via Iranian airspace. A redirect to the longer and slightly expensive route over Oman would resolve the issue for the flights, the first of which are expected to start from Thursday.
PIA officials said that it is expected that a solution to the current ban will be found through diplomatic channels by tomorrow.
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Is there any authenticity of this news or it is just a hair say. The distance Jeddah Isb avoiding Iran airspace routing through Jiwani PG is 1900 miles and through Iran airspace it is 2300 NM, see Google for ref.similarly the figures are also exaggerated, Please Quote the source of this news.....
@Ali Ahmad:
I believe the lenght of the flight will be altered by around 10 minutes. Wow so that hampers Hajis. Please dont act and talk stupid. This is PIA indefault to the Iranian aviation authority, not a country to country transaction. PIA is a public limited company.
Did you know guys, flight from Dubai to Karachi is cheaper than Lahore to Karachi? difference is around 10,000 Pak Rs.
Well done PIA..!! You and your team is utterly incompetent!
It is so funny to read these comments. Doesn't matter what the issue is, it is always Muslim brotherhood or India or something.
PIA seems to be a mis-managed entity which hasn't paid its dues. Iranians, like any other business, must have sent notices which probably were ignored. So they are taking an action. If you want to curse anyone, curse the management.
Then you start wondering - why is Iran taking action for such a small amount of money? Probably because they are sick of Pakistan's actions, generally speaking, and don't care about what happens to Pakistan's image. If such is the case, then it is a serious matter.
@Adil: Wow, So Iran is secretly cooperating with CIA/RAW/MOSSAD to deny PIA overfly rights via Iranian airspace! Wow, what a conspiracy! NOT!!! But please tell us why PIA hasn't been paying the Iran overflight fees for so long???
@M. Akthar: "$600k is nothing! Its a huge embrassment! We donated them the nuke technology & they back stabbed us!"
If $600 K is nothing. Why doesn't Pakistan simply pay it?
@Ali Ahmad: "So your brother (if you have one) would not help you out, in case you are broke?"
The brother may help for 6 months. But if the borther sees that I spend my money on luxuries and still refuse to settle his debts for 6 months, he wil not accept it.
"BTW the longer route would affect Hajis going for pilgrimage. Would some one hamper Hajis’ way to Mecca in Pakistan, we would pronounce him as Kafir and stone him to death. (standard practice)".
Maybe you would do something crazy like that but I am pretty sure most sane Pakistanis would not consider this as 'hampering Hajj' and would not consider stoning someone to death.
its disgusting to read people's comments but i can understand because most of them have never paid there taxes either.Long live pakistan but i am sure same will be the case in india if you start considering me indian,
You are who you represent. A failing airline of a failing country.
@EnGinEer: So your brother (if you have one) would not help you out, in case you are broke? BTW the longer route would affect Hajis going for pilgrimage. Would some one hamper Hajis' way to Mecca in Pakistan, we would pronounce him as Kafir and stone him to death. (standard practice).
@Khan: How often have you heard of any country's national airlines going thru these types scenarios?? Let alone even a developing or third world nation!!! So why do your own people like to suffer such humiliation, for such small amout of money??? Yet you can afford to maintain and service your Nukes!! Which incidently costs millions !!!!
What happened to brotherhood?
@amir: So Amir, if you went to a shop in Lahore or Karachi you you should be allowed to walk out with anything you like without paying because the shop owner is a fellow muslim?.
PIA has a business agreement with Iran and that involves paying for services used. What has being Muslim got anyrhing to do with it ?
Total disreagrd and utter carelessness, this measure by Iran should be a wakeup call for the PIA. How long will we Pakistanis use brotherhood & Islam to overcome incompetencies?
The ban comes after an outstanding of 6 months dues and i am sure alteast a dozen warnings. How shameless Mr.MD PIA!
Facing all of these sanctions, Iran desperately needs money to compllete its nuk weapon programme.
@Adil: Give me a break man there is a limit to stupidity.
I wonder what all this has to do with Ummah and brotherhood and Islam etc for that matter. Isn't it simple logic: you pay for what you use. I would not like my blood brother to pay for what I am reaping benefit. Please let us allow some sanity, some morality, some ethics to work. And what is this talk of permitting Israeli planes to use our airspace to attack Iran? First, this is mere lack of geographical knowledge on your part (whoever said this); Israel won't require our airspace for that. Second and more important, are we in our senses? When we as a nation will start to think?
Call yourselves a Nuclear Power!!! Shame that you are having difficulty meeting payment of paltry amounts !!!
Please do not blame Iran who stopped over fly for No Payment. Pakistan is a very bad pay master. I know one incident, Iran did not give any arms and ammunition in 1971 war, because Pakistan never paid 1965 war dues. But doors were open for Pakistani air crafts and personals without any formalities of visa and 150 army personals were provided free accommodation.For all air crafts there was no charges and Parking fees. Why we want every thing free? or we free loaders ? Now if Israel attacks Iran, I will see how much Pakistan will help Iran.
Don't worry we'll get a loan from IMF and get them paid... Afterall, PIA is our national responsibility... and hey! I've heard they are hiring too... Signs of a growing company!
china should pay our money :D
This should be an eye opener to all those Muslim Ummah Fans. All that talk of Muslim brotherhood is not even worth half a million measly dollars. We should stop all pretensions of the being the greatest champions of Muslim causes far and wide. Lets also act in a purely business like manner. If we manage to get a better energy deal from Infidel USA, lets scrap the pipeline deal from Muslim Iran.
so PIA cannot afford topay $600000?.what mess is PIA in? Appoint more buddies as MD of PIA...
@Mirza: Do we have any friends left or we have repulsed them all? So, in other words, a friend to you is someone to be taken advantage of, eh? You guys remind me of an old saying that applies to Pakistan perfectly - Pakistan's enmity is bad, friendship worse!!
All Iran is doing is to try and get their money! You use their airspace, you pay for it. Simple as that!
A nation's pride is at stake for a measly 600 thousand dollars? That would be chump-change for the Zardaris or the Sharif brothers.
So much for being Muslim brother!
We're missing important questions...there needs to be accountability.
Why did PIA management have a payment backlog of 6 months?
Is this common in the airline industry or a sign of incompetence and debt recklessness?
Would this situation be considered unacceptable to other host countries if another foreign airlines did the same? How about airline carriers, would their board members tolerate the situation or sanction some action against management once a country denies them air space?
This i guess doesn't matter to Pakistan. All that matters them is strategic depth in Afghanistan and clinging to India for all the attention. The other day in Youtube i saw Hamid Gul telling that Pakistan should default on all its foreign debt and shrug off all its payment problems. When few other panelists responded saying this should not be done he started giving examples of Argentina. The Part of the land that is today Pakistan has been a very prosperous and cultured region through history. Pakistan can still become one if there is the will. Somehow Pakistan has has lost its way drifting so much that now nothing seems to be ok. This and such other news on Pakistan that keep coming regularly point to some very fundamental problem. Pakistanis need to go back to the basics and rediscover themselves.
Its a RAW CIA MOSSAD conspiracy to humiliate Pakistan. Ya Allah Khair
Even on Iran Pakistan gas pipeline, please expect that you will actually have to pay for the gas. Everyone thinks that once thepipeline is place, gas will automatically flow whether Pak pays or not.
@Mirza: Yes sadly India has no friend except for hamid karzai
Pakistan on the other hand has dozens of allies
@Mirza: WE? Are you even Pakistani? Stop acting like one.
EnGinEer, So if Iran is attacked, Pakistan should only mind its OWN BuSiness ?
From another engineer.
Pakistan needs to get some self-respect and start paying its bills rather than beg its "brothers" for endless charity.
This is a good example of how them stressing that gas line has more to it than just being friendly. They may not be out to harm you but, they're far from selfless.
People could reply saying that obviously it's business in that area too and they'd probably be right. But, if you look at past comments on it, you might find that it being obvious and the way the idea is actually received by many people in Pakistan are two different things.
Chinese brothers can pay our Iranian brethren.
Brotherhood zindabad.
Pakistan can seek revenge by extending its air space to the Israeli Jet Fighters that are soon going to attack Iran.
Just Call PING PONG , They will write a check for you. UNCLE SAM bank is out of business now.
@First drink, don't think: I would say " If you spend" not "If you expense". But your sentiment are correct that be ready to pay your way.
And PAK army is the major share holder in PIA. Efficiency of operation is evident.
So, we would be running our industries with Irani gas in future! I think this is a reminder for our gov. Oh I almost forgot! Our gov doesnt give a crap!
What a shame ... I have lost hope, trust and faith in the credibility of this organisation ... pilots included .... I am not travelling with them anymore ,,, I am not GREAT ( PIA : GREAT people to fly with )
@fahim: there is a thing called Business. there is no brother in business ,just have a look at the bombastic size of $600,000. i wonder if Pak ever paid to any one without getting humiliated.
Do we have any friends left or we have repulsed them all?
Sorry to say but what kind of brother 'Iran' is for suspending air flight rights for measly half a million dollars even though Pakistan is in negotiations on getting Gas via pipeline worth several billion dollars. I think we have to fly via China because the friendship is 'Higher than the mountain and deeper than the ocean (pun intended"
Great and justified! No one is going to pay your bills, if you expense you should pay!
What do you think is going to happen when you can't pay for your natural gas?
taken for granted? not anymore....
there is no brotherhood when it comes to business. its a good sign...going by various business deals between the two..one can be assured that professionalism will be the key to success.
Who cares! Payment to Iran is already very tough with so many sanctions.
umm.. brothers?