Pakistan allowed Prime Minister Modi’s flight to use its airspace en route to United States and avoid Afghanistan, which closed its airspace for any commercial use.
India had sought permission from Pakistan regarding the usage of Pakistan’s airspace for Prime Minister Modi’s flight to the US, for which a nod was given by Islamabad, news agency ANI reported on Wednesday.
“Pakistan has allowed India to use its airspace,” news agency quoted an official as saying.
According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the plane — Boeing 777-337 (ER) — took off from the national capital at a little past 11.40 am and the route shows it flying over Pakistan and Iran, among other countries.
The sources said the permission came late from Pakistan authorities for the prime minister’s plane to fly over its airspace. In case, permission was not given, there was an alternative plan for the prime minister and his entourage to make a stop at Frankfurt and then proceed to the US, they added.
Prime Minister Modi today embarked on a three-day visit to the US, where he will address the UN general Assembly and participate in first in-person Quad Summit. He will also meet US President Joe Biden at the White House.
In 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370, Pakistan had at least three times denied the permission for Indian leaders including PM Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.
In September 2019, Pakistan rejected India’s request to allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s VVIP flight to use its airspace for his visit to the US via Germany.