PM to take longer route to Saudi as Pakistan again denies airspace use
“Flying over Pakistan landmass would have meant avoiding the super cyclonic storm altogether. Now the flight path will be such that it avoids the oceanic Karachi airspace and Kyarr. The increase in Delhi-Riyadh flying time will be about 45 minutes,” said sources. Pakistan media on Sunday said the country had denied India’s request to allow PM Modi’s VVIP flight to use its airspace.
According to India Met Department (IMD) statement on Sunday afternoon, Kyarr “is very likely to move towards Oman coast during next 5 days. It is very likely to maintain the intensity of a super cyclonic storm till Tuesday morning and weaken gradually…” Kyarr is centering itself 580 km off the western side of the southwest coast of Mumbai. The flight plan is being worked out accordingly.
The PM will land in Riyadh on Monday and will meet Saudi monarch Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud on Tuesday apart from addressing the Future Investment Initiative Forum organised by Saudi Arabia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund before flying back to India.
Since February, VVIP flights between Delhi and the west of the Indian President and PM have taken the longer route as AI One is not overflying Pakistan airspace. The neighbouring country’s airspace was closed for overflying by all flights from February 27 following Indian Air Force’s Balakot strike and the same was re-opened after 138 days on July 16. While schedule commercial and charter flights have started overflying Pakistan after July 16, Pakistan has not allowed Indian AI One to overfly.
In September, Pakistan turned down overflight request by India for the PM “Howdy Modi” US visit. In the same month, President Ram Nath Kovind had to take the longer route between Delhi and Europe. In June, PM Modi flew from Delhi to Bishkek taking the longer route.
The alternate route from Delhi bypassing Pakistan airspace means flying close to Mumbai then taking the Arabian Sea (steering clear Pakistan airspace around Karachi)-Muscat route onward to Europe. The straight route would have entailed flying from Delhi to Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran to Europe.
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References
- ^ Saudi Arabia (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
- ^ Boeing 747 (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
- ^ Balakot (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
- ^ Ram Nath Kovind (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
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