India has asked Pakistan through diplomatic channels to grant overflight clearance to airline GoFirst’s Srinagar to Sharjah flight, PTI reported on Thursday.
The airline, which was earlier known as GoAir, began direct flights between Srinagar and Sharjah city in the United Arab Emirates from October 23. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had inaugurated the service during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir last month.
Authorities in Pakistan had granted overflight clearance to the flights on October 23, 24, 26 and 28, PTI quoted an unidentified official as saying. However, Pakistan is said to have placed the clearance on hold from October 31 to November 30.
“This matter was promptly taken up with Pakistan through diplomatic channels and we have requested Pakistan to grant overflight clearance for this flight in the larger interest of the common people who have booked tickets on this route,” an unidentified official said, adding that Pakistan has not yet cited a specific reason for refusing the permission.
The flight from Srinagar to Sharjah took 3 hours and 40 minutes when it flew through Pakistani airspace, The Indian Express reported. However, on Tuesday, after Pakistan refused overflight clearance, the flight flew over Rajasthan and Gujarat before heading to the United Arab Emirates via Oman’s airspace. This flight took 4 hours and 20 minutes.
Information from flight-tracking website Flightradar24 shows that several other flights from India to West Asia and Europe continue to use Pakistani airspace.
On November 3, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said that Pakistan’s move was a very unfortunate one. “Pakistan did the same thing with the Air India Express flight from Srinagar to Dubai in 2009-2010,” he said on Twitter. “I had hoped that GoFirst being permitted to overfly Pak airspace was indicative of a thaw in relations but alas that wasn’t to be.”
Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said it was “puzzling” that the Centre did not secure permission from Pakistan to use its airspace for international flights from Srinagar. “Only PR extravaganza without any groundwork,” she alleged.
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