Despite ongoing diplomatic tensions, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s return flight from Poland to New Delhi crossed Pakistani airspace, according to sources from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA). Modi’s aircraft entered Pakistani airspace at 10:15 am and exited at 11:01 am, spending a total of 46 minutes within Pakistan’s boundaries.
The flight entered via Chitral, traversing the air control regions of Islamabad and Lahore before crossing into Amritsar, India. Modi’s visit to Poland, which also included a stop in Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, highlights a rare instance of interaction between the two nations amid strained relations.
In March 2019, Pakistan had reopened its airspace for civilian flights after a five-month closure triggered by a military standoff with India. This closure followed an attack on a security convoy in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), resulting in the deaths of 44 paramilitary police officers.
Further tensions arose when Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties and suspended trade with India following the Modi government’s revocation of IIOJK’s semi-autonomous status in August 2019.
