Pakistan Denies Use Of Airspace To Srinagar-Sharjah Flights; Omar & Mehbooba React

New Delhi: Pakistan has declined permission to Go First’s Srinagar-Sharjah flight to use its air space. The direct air link between the valley and the UAE was revived after 11 years.

This move will affect the people of Jammu and Kashmir the most as they will now have to fly via Udaipur, Ahmedabad and Oman. The flight will also be more expensive, the India Today reported.

Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah termed it as unfortunate. “Pakistan did the same thing with the Air India Express flight from Srinagar to Dubai in 2009-2010. I had hoped that Go First being permitted to overfly Pak airspace was indicative of a thaw in relations, but alas, that wasn’t to be,” he tweeted.

The first international flight from Srinagar to Dubai commenced in 2009 by Air India Express, but it was eventually discontinued.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufi, however, slammed the government for flagging off the service without securing permission from Pakistan. “Only PR extravaganza without any groundwork,” she tweeted.

Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off the inaugural Srinagar-Sharjah flight from the Sheikh Ul-Alam international airport in Srinagar on October 23.

The matter has been reported to Civil Aviation, External Affairs and Home ministries, ANI reported.