Closure of Pakistan airspace: Afghanistan government expresses concern
Afghanistan-Pakistan map
For the first time Afghanistan publically raised the continued closure of Pakistan airspace for Afghan planes coming to India. The Deputy Afghan Foreign Minister Idrees Zaman met with the Pakistani Ambassador to Kabul Zahed Nasrullah Khan in Kabul and raised the matter.
A readout from Afghan foreign ministry said Deputy Minister Zaman "expressed the Afghan Government’s concern regarding the closure of Pakistani aerial space for Afghanistan’s flights."
The readout further said, "Pakistani Ambassador promised that the Pakistani Government will soon decide on reopening the aerial space."
The Pakistan govt had closed its air space on February 27 after launching strikes on Indian military installations in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in response to India's counter-terror strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed's terror camps in Balakot, Pakistan.
Since then Pakistan govt has partially opened its airspace in the west side of the country, but airspace along the Indian border continues to be closed. No flights going from India to westwards or coming from Afghanistan or beyond to India are allowed to use Pakistan air space by Islamabad.
WION had on Monday first broke the story that Afghanistan, through the official channel, raised the matter with Islamabad on the closure of its Airspace for Afghan planes.
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An Afghanistan govt source told WION on Monday that Afghan govt raised the matter through its officials and "will raise it again". The source, when asked if Kabul is hopeful Pakistan will open its airspace, replied, "We are negotiating".
Closure of Pak airspace has particularly impacted Afghan airlines, who not only have to take a longer route over Iran and also spend more on fuel, increasing the cost of the ticket. Delhi to Kabul flight that used to take less than 2 hours before now takes more than five hours.
Cost of a one-way ticket from Afghanistan to India for Afghan airlines such as Ariana and Kam Air stands at $200 and $300 respectively. This was previously $ 145 for Ariana and $160 for Kam air.