Pakistan closes three aviation routes over Karachi
Islamabad: Pakistan has closed three aviation routes of Karachi airspace from August 28 till August 31, the country's civil aviation authority said on Wednesday after the government's announcement that it is mulling a complete ban on the use of the country's airspace by Indian flights.
The ban will affect all international flights using the three routes above Karachi. It further provides pilots with an alternate route to circumnavigate Karachi airspace. The four-day ban will expire on September 1, the aviation authority said in a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).
The closure came at the heels of announcement by Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry who tweeted on Tuesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan is considering a complete closure of airspace with India.
Pakistan's Cabinet on Tuesday discussed the idea of disallowing India to use the country's airspace for flight and the land route for trade with Afghanistan. The final decision will be taken by Prime Minister Khan.
Pakistan had fully closed its airspace in February after an Indian Air Force strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot. The country opened its airspace for all flights except for New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur on March 27.
On May 15, Pakistan extended its airspace ban for flights to India till May 30. It fully opened its airspace for all civilian traffic on July 16.
Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after India abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.
Pakistan expelled the Indian High Commissioner after it downgraded the diplomatic ties with India in protest to India's decision to end Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
Pakistan also suspended its trade with India and stopped the train and bus services.
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IndiGo Crisis: DGCA suspends 4 Flight Operations Inspectors
Mumbai (PTI): Aviation safety regulator DGCA has suspended four Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) over massive disruptions in IndiGo’s operations, which resulted in the cancellation of thousands of flights and lakhs of people getting stranded across airports.
The airline cancelled over 50 flights from Bengaluru Airport on Friday.
FOIs are senior officials within the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, working as part of its regulatory and safety oversight functions, often deployed to monitor airline operations.
"Four Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) at the DGCA have been suspended in connection with the recent large-scale disruptions in IndiGo’s flights," a source said.
These officials ensure aviation safety by inspecting, auditing, and certifying airlines and personnel, such as pilots, dispatchers,and cabin crew, to meet strict regulatory standards, verifying various regulations and overseeing training, flight standards, and accident prevention measures in India.
"IndiGo has cancelled 54 flights -- 31 arrivals and 23 departures -- from Bengaluru Airport on Friday," a source said.
The crisis-hit airline had cancelled over 200 flights from Delhi and Bengaluru on Thursday.
Meanwhile, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras will appear again before the DGCA's investigation panel at 2 PM on Friday.
The DGCA on Thursday stepped up scrutiny of the crisis-hit IndiGo, with officials stationing themselves at the carrier's headquarters to monitor operations, and an inquiry panel grilled CEO Pieter Elbers.
Elbers, who appeared before the DGCA-constituted inquiry panel on Thursday, has been asked to appear again on Friday.
The four-member panel comprises Joint Director General Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, senior Flight Operations Inspector Kapil Manglik, and FOI Lokesh Rampal, with a mandate to identify the root causes of widespread operational disruptions at the leading domestic carrier.
The committee's mandate includes assessing manpower planning, fluctuating rostering systems, and the airline's preparedness to implement the latest duty period and rest norms for pilots, which came into effect from November 1 this year.
