Modi’s plane uses Pakistan airspace on return from Poland

LAHORE: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plane reportedly passed through Pakistan’s airspace during its return journey from Poland to India. According to sources from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Modi’s aircraft entered Pakistani airspace at 10:15am and remained there for approximately 46 minutes. The plane passed over Chitral before moving through the air control zones of Islamabad and Lahore, finally exiting into India at 11:01am via Amritsar.

Speaking to The News, an official from the CAA clarified that the flight was allowed under the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of international civil aviation. “International laws dictate that in such circumstances, no No-Objection Certificate (NOC) is required. The country’s CAA concerned only needs to be informed in advance,” the official explained.

Meanwhile, sources said Narendra Modi has crossed Pakistan’s airspace 4 times after becoming the prime minister of India for the third time in the recent elections. Before August 24, Modi entered Pakistan’s airspace at a height of 36,000 feet near Kasur at 10 am on his way to Poland’s capital Warsaw in his special India One plane from Delhi on August 21. His plane remained in Pakistan’s airspace for 48 minutes. He entered the Afghan airspace from Chitral.

Earlier, on his way from Delhi to Moscow on July 8, at 11:26 am, the Indian prime minister’s plane India One flew at a height of 36,000 feet at 11:26 am and entered Pakistan’s airspace near Chitral. It entered the airspace of Afghanistan at 12:10 pm. The same aircraft flew from Moscow to Vienna and then entered Pakistan’s airspace at 4:43 pm on July 10, via Iran, near Zahidan. The prime minister of India’s plane flew over Rahim Yar Khan at an altitude of 37,000 feet and entered India at 5:54 in the morning.