Pakistan has refused to allow India’s Go First Srinagar-Sharjah Flight to cross from its airspace. According to the reports out, the issue is reported to the concerned ministries including the Civil Aviation Ministry, the External Affairs Ministry and the Home Ministry.
Union Minister Amit Shah visited Kashmir valley recently and inaugurated the first flight from Srinagar to Sharjah in United Arab Emirates, reviving the international route after 11 years. It would have provided low cost flights but now feared that it will meet the same fate as 2009 Srinagar-Dubai service which was discontinued as Pakistan did not allow using its airspace.
Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah showing his disappointment tweeted, “Pakistan did the same this with teh Air India Express flight from Srinagar to Dubai in 2009-2010 . I had hoped that GoFirst airways being permitted to overfly Pak airspace was indicative of a thaw in relations but alas that wasn’t to be.”
PDP president Mehbooba Mufi blamed the government saying inaugurating the flight off was only a ‘PR extravaganza without any groundwork’. In her tweet full of anger, she said, “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.”
On the day of announcement of opening of Srinagar-Sharjah flight (23 October), Omar Abdullah seemed doubtful about whether Pakistan is really allowing to use its airspace and he tweeted, “Regarding the Srinagar-Sharjah flight that has been announced today – has Pakistan had a change of heart & allowed flights originating from Srinagar to use its airspace? If not then this flight will die the way the Srinagar-Dubai flight died during UPA2.”
Pakistan Government recently allowed Narendra Modi’s VVIP flight to use its airspace. India also allows Pakistan to use its airspace, India allowed Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan’s flight when he was going to Sri Lanka. The permission withdrawn with make Go-First’s flight to take the long route from over Rajasthan and Gujarat, before turning west over the Arabian Sea. It will add an hour of flying and higher costs. But still Go-First had declared to continue the services for now.
