ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) lost more than $2 million during a three-day airspace closure which was in place due to rising tensions with India, following a recent incident in Kashmir, officials said on Monday.
Islamabad closed its airspace on Wednesday last week after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down an Indian fighter jet for violating the country’s airspace before capturing one of its pilots.
The move impacted more than 400 flights, leaving nearly 25,000 travelers stranded in different countries. The situation also forced various international air carriers to reroute their flights, with officials suspending civil and commercial air traffic operations as a precautionary measure, too.
Pakistan resumed partial flight operations at four airports on Friday with the CAA spokesperson, Farah Hussain telling Arab News on Monday that airspace was expected to be reopened by Tuesday across the nation.
“We can’t reveal the exact amount of loss incurred to the CAA due to airspace closure because this is classified information,” she said when pressed to talk about the loss in income.
However, a retired Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) captain, Aamir Kamal, said the CAA “charges approximately $5,000 per hour from airlines using our airspace.”
“All flights from Europe to the Far East and back fly over Pakistan. They are charged by the amount of time they remain in our airspace,” Kamal, who served the airline for 38 years, told Arab News.
Due to the closure of airspace, thousands of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims and passengers were stranded in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
“As per the directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan, we are bringing back passengers from Saudi Arabia and the UAE on a priority basis and this special flight operation may complete in the next couple of days,” Mashood Tajwar, PIA spokesperson, told Arab News.
He added that the administration had initiated a “swift action with a well thought-out strategy to normalize the flight operations as quickly as possible.”
To take care of stranded Pakistani pilgrims, Saudi Arabia’s Hajj Ministry had announced — just a day after the airspace closure — that “all Pakistani pilgrims stranded in Haramain Sharifain will be the guests of the Saudi Ministry for Hajj and Umrah till the resumption of flights.”
Meanwhile, the Saudi Hajj ministry said that all arrangements for Pakistani pilgrims were being made on the instructions of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and under the guidance of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Abid Hussain, a Pakistani pilgrim in Saudi Arabia who returned to Islamabad on Sunday morning, said that he was scheduled to fly from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on Thursday for Islamabad, but his flight was canceled due to the closure of the airspace in Pakistan.
“Thousands of Pakistani pilgrims were stranded there, scrambling to rebook their flights as some of them were also short on funds,” he told Arab News. “But we are thankful to the Saudi government for facilitating us and treating us as their guests in a difficult time.”
Pakistan loses more than $2mn in three-day airspace closure
Pakistan loses more than $2mn in three-day airspace closure
- Move impacted over 400 flights and 25,000 passengers
- Pilgrims visiting Saudi for Hajj thank government for treating them as guests in “difficult time”
Pakistan defeat Japan to qualify for Hockey World Cup after eight years
- The national side was trailing 3-1 in the third quarter and smashed three goals in last nine minutes of the final quarter
- PM Shehbaz Sharif tells Pakistan players ‘you can win the World Cup by playing with same hard work, determination’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan defeated Japan 4-3 in the semifinal of the FIH Hockey World Cup qualifier in Egypt on Friday, qualifying for this year’s World Cup.
Pakistan’s victory at the Suez Canal Authority Hockey Stadium has earned them a place in the World Cup after eight years. Belgium and the Netherlands will co-host the tournament in Aug.
The Pakistan hockey team has not qualified for the last three Olympics and were ranked 12th when they last played a World Cup in 2018, despite hockey being the national game of Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday congratulated the Pakistani side for securing a place in the upcoming World Cup, promising his government support to the players.
“You can win the World Cup by playing with the same hard work and determination,” he said in a statement. “The government will provide you with all the facilities. Your full attention should be focused on outstanding performance in the game.”
The national side, led by Ammad Butt, was trailing 3-1 in the third quarter of Friday’s match against Japan, when it smashed three goals in the last nine minutes of the final quarter to clinch victory.
Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari called the win a “message of encouragement for hockey revival in Pakistan.”
“Sports play an important role in promoting national unity, discipline and a healthy society,” he said, stressing the need to promote hockey and football across the country.
Pakistan’s hockey journey is marked by past glory and ongoing efforts to revive the sport. Once a dominant force with three Olympic golds in 1960, 1968 and 1984 along with four World Cups in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994, the country was known for its legendary players like Shahbaz Ahmed and Samiullah Khan.
However, poor management, lack of infrastructure and the rise of cricket from the late 1990s led to a decline. The failure to adapt to modern demands, including fitness and artificial turfs also further deepened the crisis.
