Islamabad, June 19: Despite willingness expressed by by India and Pakistan to restore air links, the Civil Aviation Authorities of both countries are yet to establish any contact or make any "specific effort" towards it, Pakistan's top civil aviation authority official said. "There is no specific effort at the moment to open air space and it depends how the thaw in relations between the two countries evolve," Director General of Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (Retd) Air Marshal Saleem Arshad told reporters yesterday. Arshad claimed India, who used Pakistan airspace extensively, suffered more losses due to the ban on overflights than Islamabad.

Pakistan has expressed readiness to establish air links, which meant restoration of flight services between both the counties. But Islamabad is maintaining silence on re-opening its airspace to Indian overflights. "Allowing air space will be a political decision of the governments," Arshad said.
He said the civil aviation authority is planning to modernise Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar International Airports with facilities and equipment of international standards. Arshad said Islamabad would have new airport in about four years and work would begin before the end of this year.
Bureau Report