Pakistan declines use of airspace for Srinagar-Sharjah flights; Mufti slams Centre, 'unfortunate', tweets Omar

Pakistan has declined to allow the use of its airspace for flights from Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, sources told ANI. According to the unnamed sources, Islamabad has raised concerns over the use of its airspace. Relevant Indian ministries are looking into the matter. “Pakistan has refused its airspace use to Go First’s Srinagar-Sharjah flight. It has raised concerns over the use of their airspace. Matter reported to the concerned ministries; MoCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation), MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) and MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) looking into it,” a government source told ANI. Last month, Union home minister Amit Shah flagged off the first international flight services from Srinagar to Sharjah. India’s low-cost airline Go First became the first airline to launch direct flights from Srinagar to Sharjah. Go First official told ANI that their “flight is operational as per schedule.” Meanwhile, former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted:

Very unfortunate. Pakistan did the same thing with the Air India Express flight from Srinagar to Dubai in 2009-2010. I had hoped that @GoFirstairways being permitted to overfly Pak airspace was indicative of a thaw in relations but alas that wasn’t to be. https://t.co/WhXzLbftxf

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 3, 2021

Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, taking to social media, slammed the Centre.

Puzzling that GOI didn’t even bother securing permission from Pakistan to use its airspace for international flights from Srinagar. Only PR extravaganza without any groundwork. https://t.co/3Cbj91C6Pb

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) November 3, 2021

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In September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plane flew over Pakistan airspace  en route to the United States after the neighbouring country gave permission for the aircraft, according to sources. There was no official confirmation from the government on whether the prime minister’s aircraft flew over the Pakistan airspace, but sources confirmed that the route included Pakistan airspace. The sources said the permission came late from Pakistan authorities for the prime minister’s plane to fly over its airspace. In case, permission was not given, there was an alternative plan for the prime minister and his entourage to make a stop at Frankfurt and then proceed to the US, they added. In October 2019, Pakistan had denied India’s request to use its airspace for Modi’s flight to Saudi Arabia. The same year in September also, Pakistan had denied overflight clearance for the prime minister’s aircraft. With inputs from agencies