Commercial and cargo airlines using Indian airspace have been forced to take costly and time-consuming detours because they cannot fly over Pakistan. But Pakistan had cleared Modi's flight to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit beginning on Thursday, Indian and Pakistan sources said. The Indian foreign ministry said the government had considered the routes for Modi's travel and decided he would take the longer passage to Central Asia instead of the direct route over Pakistan. Modi to avoid Pakistan airspace despite getting permission https://t.co/ARfhMQfqdM by @sanjeevmiglani — Reuters India (@ReutersIndia) June 12, 2019The move follows calls in local media that Modi shouldn't be securing an exception for himself while thousands of ordinary travellers were enduring the longer travel because of the tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. Pakistan announced last month that the airspace closure on its eastern border with India would be extended to June 14.

Source: Dhaka Tribune June 12, 2019 12:22 UTC