LAHORE – Early-morning flights across parts of Pakistan are set for brief change in course as Pakistan Airports Authority temporarily closes five air routes in the Lahore Flight Information Region.
The 2-hour restrictions on September 17 and 18 will affect key corridors, with alternative routes arranged to keep air traffic moving. The restrictions will come into force during the early-morning hours of September 17 and 18, with the affected routes closed between 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. each day.
Among the corridors affected are the Jhang-Sargodha and Rait-Dera Ismail Khan routes, according to a newly issued NOTAM. The restrictions will apply to flights operating from ground level up to an altitude that has not been specified in the notice.
The temporary closure means aircraft will be unable to use the designated airways during the two-hour window. However, passengers and airlines are not expected to face a complete halt in operations, as the PAA says alternative routes have been arranged for traffic travelling in both directions.
Flights operating to or from Dera Ismail Khan during the restricted period will face an additional requirement: crews will have to coordinate directly with Air Traffic Control while navigating the affected area.
PAA has stressed that the restrictions are temporary and operational in nature, rather than a permanent change to the airspace structure.
With the Lahore FIR handling en-route and terminal air traffic across a significant portion of Pakistan’s airspace, the temporary routing changes will require coordination between aircraft operators and air traffic controllers during the specified morning hours.
Pakistan extends airspace ban on Indian aircrafts until June 24
