The advisory specifies that “selected ATS route segments in the Karachi and Lahore FIRs are unavailable from 3–31 March 2026, daily from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm PKT (4:00 am–10:00 am UTC), due to operational reasons.”

Pakistan Airports Authority – Clarification on Recent NOTAM
Some media & social media accounts (@shaheryarhassan @KazmiWajahat) are incorrectly claiming Pakistan's airspace has been "partially closed" for commercial flights.
This is inaccurate and misleading. pic.twitter.com/b4QB547KTk

— Pakistan Airports Authority (@Pk_PAA_Official) March 3, 2026

Amid media reports suggesting a broader restriction, the PAA clarified that the measure applies only to specific air traffic service routes and does not constitute a blanket closure of Pakistan’s airspace.

“Air traffic services continue without hindrance, and alternative routing options are available and routinely used for all affected flows. No restrictions have been imposed on commercial operations, arrivals, departures, or overflights across Pakistan. Our air traffic controllers and airport teams are fully operational and managing traffic normally”, the authority said, adding that the specified routes were closed “due to standard operational reasons”.

Flight tracking data indicated that commercial overflights through Pakistani FIRs continued outside the specified route segments and time window, with airlines able to use alternative routings.

The authority also urged media organisations and social media users to rely solely on official statements and to “avoid speculative or inaccurate headlines that could cause unnecessary concern among passengers and the wider public”.

The timing of the notice has drawn attention, given the intensification of Pakistan’s security situation. On 27 February, clashes with the Taliban in Afghanistan escalated into an operation termed ‘Ghazab lil-Haq’ (‘Righteous Fury’) by Islamabad, prompting speculation that the route adjustments may be linked to military activity.

Shortly after Pakistan launched its operation, Gulf countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, attempted to ease tensions, but these efforts were cut short as the countries became embroiled in wider Middle Eastern hostilities, further destabilising the regional security landscape.

Iran, Iraq and Jordan have imposed varying degrees of airspace limitations, while routes over the Gulf have faced intermittent restrictions, further destabilising the regional security landscape.

Against this backdrop, almost 300 flights between Pakistan and major Gulf hubs, such as Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Sharjah, have been cancelled over the past 24 hours due to wider regional airspace disruptions. According to Dunya News, at least 116 flights bound for Pakistan from the Middle East were grounded in a single day, leaving thousands of passengers stranded across the region.

In view of the developing situation in the Middle East, #PIA is suspending its flights to #UAE , #Bahrain, #Kuwait and #Doha till tomorrow evening, or till opening of respective airspaces.

Flights to #KSA have been rerouted, avoiding conflict hit zones.…

— PIA (@Official_PIA) February 28, 2026

The ‘Silk Air Road’ has been forced into a narrow Caucasus–Caspian corridor as airlines try to avoid the ‘no-fly’ zones in Iran, Iraq and western Pakistan. This ‘Baku bottleneck’ is adding 90–120 minutes to standard routes, and some Asia–Europe flights are experiencing delays of up to five hours due to unscheduled refuelling stops. Real-time tracking reveals unprecedented congestion over Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan as the world’s east–west transit artery is squeezed into a single, high-pressure lane.

Markets have mirrored this turbulence. Travel stocks tumbled on Monday as the conflict showed no signs of abating. American Airlines and United Airlines both fell by around 6%, while TUI dropped by 9.6% and Lufthansa slid by 5.7%. According to Reuters and other financial outlets, the top 29 travel and leisure companies lost a combined total of around $22.6 billion in market value on 2 March alone. Meanwhile, oil prices jumped by 13%.

L’article Pakistan confirms airspace fully open amid fake news reports est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The body’s Emergency Committee took the decision after a review of polio’s global spread and the situation in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, including governmental efforts there to contain the virus.

Between 2023 and 2024 there was a 12-fold rise in reported paralytic cases in Pakistan, where new districts are being affected by the wild poliovirus and nearly 630 polio-positive environmental samples have been reported in 2025 so far, with six confirmed cases, (versus 74 cases in 2024).

Areas at heightened risk

While the WHO notes the continued implementation of “an intensive and mostly synchronized campaign schedule focusing on improved vaccination coverage,” the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh, are still a concern.

In addition, areas around historical reservoirs are seeing a resurgence and Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta are now hotbeds of poliovirus type 1 (WPV1), which continues to spread in central parts of Pakistan and southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The most intense transmission is taking place in the “southern cross-border epidemiological corridor, encompassing Quetta Block (Pakistan) and the South Region (Afghanistan)”, as well as the “epidemiologically critical South KP and Central Pakistan blocks of Pakistan,” the WHO says.

How can the problem be tackled?

Part of the issue is a failure of house-to-house vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan during the second half of 2024. Site-to-site campaigns are “usually not able to reach all the children, especially those of younger age and girls, which may lead to a further upsurge of WPV1 with geographical spread in Afghanistan and beyond,” the WHO notes – a situation worsened amid a movement of displaced persons and refugees.

Tackling the problem requires improved vaccination efforts at Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossings, the WHO said, calling for enhanced bilateral cooperation and simultaneous anti-polio campaigns in both countries – which are, globally, almost the only two where the virus is not yet controlled. Other clusters of strains exist in Nigeria and the Horn of Africa, and a large pool of unimmunised children in Northern Yemen are in jeopardy.

What do the travel restrictions mean?

States under the WHO’s so-called “Temporary Recommendations” are called on to declare polio a national public health emergency and implement all required measures to eradicate it.

Among the actions nations such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mozambique, DR Congo, French Guiana and Guinea should take, all residents and visitors should receive a polio vaccine between four weeks and 12 months ahead of international travel, and those lacking proof of it should be refused travel from all points of departure, whether by road, sea, or air.

L’article WHO extends Pakistan travel restrictions for three months due to polio concerns est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The airport, which cost approximately $240 million, was entirely financed by China. Located in the southwestern Balochistan province, it is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multibillion-dollar project designed to connect China’s Xinjiang province with the Arabian Sea.

Security concerns and a low-key inauguration

Security concerns led to repeated delays in the airport’s inauguration. Authorities feared that the surrounding mountains could make it vulnerable to an attack. As a result, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang opted for a virtual ceremony instead. The inaugural flight was not open to media or the public.

Since then, the airport has hosted only one commercial route: three weekly flights connecting Gwadar to Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, located at the other end of the Arabian Sea coastline.

Who is the airport really for?

“This airport is not for Pakistan or Gwadar”, Azeem Khalid, an international relations expert who specializes in Pakistan-China ties told the Associated Press (AP). “It is for China, so they can have secure access for their citizens to Gwadar and Balochistan.”

The airport’s state-of-the-art infrastructure stands in stark contrast to the living conditions in Gwadar. The city, according to AP, is not connected to Pakistan’s national electricity grid, instead relying on power from Iran and solar panels. Access to clean water also remains a significant challenge. Moreover, the airport’s capacity of 400,000 passengers per year far exceeds the local population of 90,000.

Balochistan has long been plagued by a separatist insurgency, with militants opposing the CPEC project and targeting both Pakistani troops and Chinese workers. In response, Pakistan has significantly increased military presence in Gwadar to protect Chinese investments.

Today, checkpoints, barbed wire, military personnel, barricades, and watchtowers are visible throughout the city. Roads are frequently closed — sometimes multiple times a week — to facilitate the secure movement of Chinese workers and Pakistani VIPs.

“Nobody used to ask where we are going, what we are doing, and what is your name,” said 76-year-old Gwadar native Khuda Bakhsh Hashim in an interview with AP. “We used to enjoy all-night picnics in the mountains or rural areas. We are asked to prove our identity, who we are, where we have come from. We are residents. Those who ask should identify themselves as to who they are.”

PAKISTAN’S $240M “GHOST AIRPORT” HAS NO PLANES, NO PASSENGERS, NO POINT

China built it, Pakistan owns it, and nobody’s using it.

The brand-new Gwadar airport—Pakistan’s most expensive—sits empty while the city around it struggles with blackouts and water shortages.

Locals… pic.twitter.com/o6mbh2a91b

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 25, 2025

While the government claims that the CPEC has created around 2,000 jobs for locals, there is uncertainty over what ‘local’ actually means. Furthermore, intelligence officers are closely monitoring journalists reporting in Gwadar, with some areas, such as the city’s fish market, considered off-limits for media coverage.

L’article Pakistan’s $240 million Gwadar airport: A runway to nowhere? est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The advert is intended to celebrate the resumption of flights to Europe by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), following the lifting of a four-year safety veto imposed by the European Union’s aviation agency. It shows a PIA-liveried aircraft mid-air, tilted at an angle and in such proximity to the French capital’s iconic landmark that it has invited unfortunate comparisons with images of the 11 September 2001 terror attacks on New York’s World Trade Center.

The slogan accompanying the advert is ambiguous too, with some interpreting it as a potential or bad-taste threat. “Paris, we’re coming today,” it reads.

Outrage as an advertising tool?

Online commentary has been by turns wry and scathing.

“Did the idiot who designed this graphic not see a PIA plane heading for the Eiffel Tower? One of Europe’s iconic landmarks. Do they not know about the 9/11 tragedy – which used planes to attack buildings? Did they not think that this would be perceived in similar fashion?” said Pakistani PR expert and erstwhile political adviser Omar R. Quraishi on X.

I mean who is PIA’s creative agency

Who designed this?

Who or which agency manages its social media accounts?

Did the airline management not vet this?

Did the idiot who designed this graphic not see a PIA plane heading for the Eiffel Tower? One of Europe’s iconic landmarks… pic.twitter.com/Z0Vm7LQR51

— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) January 10, 2025

While many keyboard warriors have derided and condemned the advert, others have pointed out that the advert has very effectively carried out its remit of getting people talking about the new route from Islamabad to Paris.

“Let’s be honest, without the terrible design of their post, none of us would even know that PIA is flying to Paris now,” one social media commenter remarked.

Not a parody or fake

Despite widespread ridicule and accusations of tone-deaf insensitivity to the almost 3,000 victims killed by the 9/11 extremists and the estimated 940,000 fatalities, over half of whom were civilians, of the ensuing US “war on terror”, the advert, no matter how unbelievable, is not a parody or a fake, fact-checkers have confirmed.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed the rehabilitation of the country’s national flag carrier, which officials say lost nearly $150 million (€146 million) in annual revenue due to the European ban.

Why was Pakistan International Airlines banned?

The prohibition on PIA flights was brought in due to a 2020 crash in Karachi in which 97 people died and a subsequent investigation which, according to Pakistan’s aviation Minister, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, revealed that around 33% of Pakistani pilots had cheated in order to obtain their flying qualifications.

French officials are yet to comment on the controversial marketing campaign.

L’article Pakistan Airlines condemned for insensitive advert recalling 9/11 terror attacks est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

“Thrilled to take to the #stars with @trevorbmbagency and @ronrosano aboard #Galactic04 with @virgingalactic. Inspiring #girls #women and #youth globally to reach for the stars,” Salim posted on X on September 17.

Thrilled to take to the #stars with @trevorbmbagency and @ronrosano aboard #Galactic04 with @virgingalactic. Inspiring #girls #women and #youth globally to reach for the stars.

— Namira Salim (@namirasalim) September 18, 2023

Salim, the founder and chairperson of the nonprofit Space Trust, has a record of seeking adventures. According to her website, she’s the first Pakistani to visit both the North Pole (in April 2007) and the South Pole (in January 2008). Back in 2006, Salim was one of the first 100 people to buy a ticket with Virgin Galactic. Back then, the price was $200,000 — it has since risen to $450,000.

Galactic 04 will be Virgin’s fourth commercial spaceflight, following three successful launches in June, August and September.  The mission will carry three customers to suborbital space and back — British advertising executive Trevor Beattie and American astronomy educator Ron Rosano.

Joining these space tourists in the cabin of Virgin Galactic‘s VSS Unity space plane will be Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic’s chief astronaut instructor. Kelly Latimer and C.J. Sturckow will fly the VSS Unity space plane on Galactic 04, and Nicola Pecile and Jameel Janjua will be at the controls of VMS Eve, the carrier plane that hauls Unity off the ground. The carrier plane drops the spacecraft at an altitude of 13,7000 meters, Unity will then light up its rocket motor to get to suborbital space.

Virgin Galactic is a spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson in 2004. The space company has conducted a series of test flights and has gradually moved closer to offering commercial suborbital spaceflights to the public. Branson himself took a flight on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo in July 2021, a milestone in the company’s development.

L’article First Pakistani to reach space with Virgin Galactic est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Generations of Indians revere Pakistani singers such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida Parveen and Ghulam Ali. Millions of Pakistanis have grown up watching Indian films, while Pakistani television soap operas are hugely popular in India.

Coke Studio’s enduring popularity in India is reigniting the possibilities for renewed cultural collaborations. “Even Coke Studio Pakistan never imagined that it would get this much love from India – so much so that it became more successful than India’s own Coke Studio,” popular Indian composer Shantanu Moitra told the BBC. “I think that’s incredible.”

The love we got from Indian audiences is amazing. We were very lucky.

Faisal Kapadia, Pakistani lead singer of Strings

The Coke Studio platform was first launched in Pakistan in 2008 but the company has expanded it and now aims to connect emerging talent from around the world. Nadeem Zaman and Rohail Hyatt revolutionized the way South Asian music was perceived locally, and around the world. With a live-music format that uniquely blended traditional Pakistani music with west-influenced music, the show had started something unique, something that would offer hours of joy for millions of fans.

According to music site Thespace.ink, Zaman wanted to create a show that would resemble the concert-like performances in Brazil. The concept was handled by bassist, composer and musician, Rohail Hyatt, who was a former member of the immensely popular Pakistani band Vital Signs. The band had a key part in transforming the pop and rock scene of the country.

“Whenever a new producer took command, they put their own touch to the music. You got a different flavor every season,” Faisal Kapadia, Pakistani lead singer of Strings told the BBC.

The first season was produced with a live audience, while the subsequent were conducted in a closed studio. Hyatt’s plan for Coke Studio was to promote Pakistan’s folk, classical and traditional music by marrying it to more popular or mainstream music. “It was an exercise in how close we can be to the original, but also relatable to the west,” Hyatt told the BBC.

Indian and Pakistani artists had collaborated for numerous music and film projects, but political hostilities eventually filtered into the cultural arena, and Bollywood dropped Pakistani actors. Pakistan banned Indian films. Music on Youtube, it seems, has created a new way to bring people together.

Coke Studio Pakistan has millions of fans across countries, and both India and Bangladesh now have their own versions, as reported by the BBC. Coke Studio Pakistan, however, remains the most popular.

L’article How Coke Studio is bringing India and Pakistan closer est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.