Tag: airspace

  • All airlines will be allowed to fly in Saudi Arabia’s airspace including from Israel

    All airlines will be allowed to fly in Saudi Arabia’s airspace including from Israel

    Saudi Arabia announced that it would open its airspace to all air carriers, allowing for more overflights to and from Israel.

    US President Joe Biden, who is scheduled to visit the kingdom today, applauded the decision.

    According to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), all airlines that fulfill the country’s overflight requirements are now allowed to use the country’s airspace, in accordance with international agreements that forbid discrimination between civil aircraft.

    As per a statement from GACA, the choice will complement the efforts aimed at consolidating the kingdom’s position as a global hub connecting three continents and to enhance international air connectivity. Some flights to and from Israel had longer flight times and used more fuel as a result of flying over Saudi Arabia.

    US President Joe Biden praised the choice, according to Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser. The security and prosperity of the United States and the American people, as well as the security and prosperity of Israel, are dependent on a more integrated, stable, and secure Middle East region, according to Sullivan.

    A source had earlier told Reuters that Saudi Arabia would soon allow Israeli airlines unrestricted overflight access and permit direct charter flights from Israel for Muslims taking part in the yearly hajj pilgrimage in Makkah.

    Saudi Arabia rejects Israel’s legitimacy and has made no mention of potential bilateral developments during Biden’s visit. Israel has likewise avoided making these connections.

    KSA had agreed in 2020 to permit flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to pass through its territory, despite the lack of official relations.

  • Pakistan denies reports of ‘agreement’ with US to use airspace for military operations in Afghanistan

    Pakistan denies reports of ‘agreement’ with US to use airspace for military operations in Afghanistan

    In a statement by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the spokesperson stated that “no such understanding was in place”. The statement said that Pakistan and the United States (US) have longstanding cooperation on regional security and counter-terrorism and the two sides remain engaged in regular consultations.

    However, a report published in CNN suggested that the US administration has informed that the country is nearing an agreement with Pakistan to use its airspace to conduct military and intelligence operations in Afghanistan.

    The report cites three sources familiar with the details of a classified briefing with members of the American Congress, held on Friday. It states that Pakistan had expressed the desire to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US government in exchange for assistance with its own counter-terrorism efforts and help in managing the relationship with its neighbour India.

    However, negotiations between both countries are ongoing and nothing has yet been finalised.

    The US military currently uses Pakistan’s airspace as part of ongoing intelligence-gathering efforts, but there is no formal agreement and without it, the US has the risk of Pakistan refusing entry to US military aircraft and drones to Afghanistan.

    One source said that an agreement was discussed when US officials visited Pakistan, but it’s not yet clear what Pakistan wants or how much the US would be willing to give in return.

    Prior to this revelation, in an interview, Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan Imran Khan said that Pakistan would absolutely not allow the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to use bases on its soil for cross-border counter-terrorism missions after American forces withdraw from Afghanistan.

    Moreover, National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf said that Pakistan has not given a chance to the US to demand airbases after withdrawal from Afghanistan, and categorically said, “Pakistan’s position is that it cannot provide airbases to the US.”

    The US withdrew its troops from Afghanistan on August 31.

  • First ‘space hotel’ expected to open in 2027

    Space construction company Orbital Assembly has announced the construction of a ‘space hotel’. The announcement was made in an event ‘First Assembly’ which streamed live on the company’s YouTube channel.

    Image by orbital assembly coorporation

    Speaking to a news publication, Chief Executive Officer of Orbital Assembly John Blincow said that the coronavirus pandemic may ultimately delay the construction start date from its initial 2025 projection. However, he believes it could take just a year or two to assemble Voyager Station, the commercial space station that will house the hotel.

    “It’s going to happen fast when it starts,” Blincow said. “And we believe it’s going to happen a lot, too, even before we finish the first one. We have buyers for other stations because they’re very, very lucrative.”

    He further added, “You’re going to have the top chefs making really, really good food. And when you pay $5 million to go someplace, it’s not going to be burgers and fries.”

    Voyager Station, it is planned to operate with artificial gravity. Orbital Assembly’s goal is “to build a ring-shaped Voyager Space Station (VSS) with a diameter of 650 ft (200 m) and capable of creating moon-levels of artificial gravity.”

    As per details, construction of this space structure will begin in 2025 and it will have the capacity to accommodate 400 people. The Voguer Space station is expected to be operational by 2027.

  • New Delhi allows PM Imran to use airspace, claims Indian media

    New Delhi allows PM Imran to use airspace, claims Indian media

    India has allowed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s aircraft to use Indian airspace for his official trip to Sri Lanka, reported India media outlets on Tuesday.

    According to Indian media outlet WION, Islamabad asked New Delhi for permission 10 days ago that was granted on Monday. As a protocol, whenever heads of state or governments pass through the air space of any other country, the country is alerted and due permission is taken, it reported.

    Planes taking off from Islamabad for Sri Lanka cannot bypass Indian airspace; therefore, they require permission to use its airspace. But in case of Karachi, the flights can use another route and travel to Sri Lanka via Arabian Sea.

    According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, PM Imran has embarked on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka on the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa. The premier is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the Cabinet and senior officials.

    To exchange views on key regional and international issues, Prime Minister will hold meetings with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during the two-day visit. The prime minister will also participate in a joint ‘Trade and Investment Conference’ aimed at promoting trade and investment between the two countries.

  • India requests Pakistan to let Modi fly through its airspace

    India requests Pakistan to let Modi fly through its airspace

    India has requested Pakistan to let Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s aircraft fly through its airspace to New York for his week-long trip to the United States (US) from September 21 to 27.

    India has formally requested Pakistan to allow use of its air space for PM Modi’s flight, ANI reported.

    On September 22, Modi will address the Indian community as part of the ‘Howdy Modi!’ event in Houston, Texas. The event will be his third major address to the Indian-American community after he became the prime minister in 2014 and the first after his re-election in May.

    The previous two were at the Madison Square Garden in New York in 2014 and the Silicon Valley in 2016.

    Modi will then visit New York from September 23, where he will address the 2019 Climate Action Summit hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He is also expected to meet US President Donald Trump.

    Modi had in August used Pakistani airspace for the first time after February’s botched Balakot strike by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

    The flight carrying Modi, callsign Air India One (AI-1), used Pakistani airspace while en route to France from New Delhi.

    Pakistan closed its airspace in February this year after a standoff with India in the wake of an attack on a police convoy in occupied Kashmir that killed 40 paramilitary police.

    In the aftermath, two Indian fighter jets’ were downed. Pakistan also captured one of the Indian pilots who was later released.

    In June, Modi avoided flying over Pakistan during a trip to Central Asia, even though its airspace was opened as a goodwill gesture.

    Islamabad had fully reopened its airspace to civilian flights a month later.

  • Pakistan makes its first move, ‘to close airspace for India again’

    Pakistan makes its first move, ‘to close airspace for India again’

    As tensions soar on either side of the border ever since India abrogated Article 370 of its constitution, which makes way for ethnic cleansing in Muslim-majority Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK), Pakistan has reportedly finally made its first move.

    According to local media reports, Islamabad is set to close its airspace for Indian flights for the second time this year, a decision that earlier cost India a whopping $80.1 million (Rs12,800,000,000).

    Pakistan opened its air space for all types of civil traffic in July. It had been fully closed since February when Pakistan shot down two intruding Indian Air Force (IAF) jets.

    Over 800 flights use the Pakistani and Indian airspace to transport passengers from South Asia, South East Asia to Europe and North America.

  • ‘Thai Airways never stopped operating from Pakistan’, Sherry Rehman ridicules Fawad

    ‘Thai Airways never stopped operating from Pakistan’, Sherry Rehman ridicules Fawad

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman has ridiculed Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry over his claim regarding Thai Airways’ operations in Pakistan.

    “Thai Airways to start operation from Lahore to Bangkok and beyond with four flights a week starting July 16, 2019,” the minister had tweeted Tuesday.

    While a lot of people praised the “restoration” of Thai Airways’ operations after British Airways, that operated its first flight to the country in eleven years on June 2; some users, including Sherry, pointed out what was wrong with the claim.

    “Err, Thai Airways has been flying from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi several times a week for over ten years. The Islamabad and Lahore flights were suspended due to [the] closure of air space recently. Islamabad flights have still not resumed,” she tweeted.

    Pakistan closed its airspace following an aerial engagement with the Indian Air Force (IAF) along the Line of Control (LoC) on February 27. On June 28, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that the closure for overflight and transit flights will continue till July 12.