China opens airspace for int’l flights amid India-Pak tension
BEIJING: China has permitted foreign airlines to use its airspace after Pakistan shut down its skies following military tension with India this week, a state media report said on Friday.
The Civilian Aviation Administration of China ( CAAC) stepped in with a contingency plan for both domestic and foreign airlines on Wednesday to use Chinese air space to re-route their flights.
“The notice came after Beijing Capital International Airport cancelled all flights to and from Pakistan on Wednesday and Thursday, including connecting flights,” according to a statement from the North China Air Traffic Management Bureau, under the CAAC, quoted by the state-controlled tabloid, Global Times.
The report said 22 flights operate between China and Pakistan every week, including two Air China flights and other flights operated by Pakistan International Airlines.
“Flights to Pakistan have undergone major changes in recent days and the CAAC reminded passengers to check flight information before they make plans,” said the statement. Civil air traffic flights were severely disrupted – before being stopped altogether – after fighter jets from India and Pakistan engaged near the Indo-Pakistan border on Wednesday.
Flights from the Middle East that usually overfly Pakistan and the Pakistan-India border were being re-routed over India, Myanmar or central Asia to enter China, the Global Times report said.
“At the request of the International Civil Aviation Organization, the CAAC opened part of China’s airspace and air routes for foreign airlines to re-route”, China National Radio reported.
Flights of carriers including Singapore Airlines, Finnair, British Airways, Aeroflot and Air India had to detour, the report quoted the flight tracking company Flightradar as saying.
About 800 flights a day use the India-Pakistan air corridor, according to Reuters. Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang on Thursday called for restraint from both sides, saying that China hoped India and Pakistan would find a solution through dialogue.