Avoid emergency landings in Pakistan: Indian airlines issue advisory

Indian carriers have asked their pilots operating flights that overfly Pakistan to avoid landing there in an emergency situation. Unless there is an "extreme emergency", like fire on board, airlines have 'informally' told pilots to opt for Muscat or UAE flight information region on westbound flights, or head to Delhi, Mumbai or Ahmedabad on India-bound flights. "Flight despatchers are asking that Pakistani airports be avoided for emergency landings if possible. These instructions have not come in writing but verbally. Making an emergency landing in Pakistan is the last resort for us in an extreme emergency," said a senior pilot with a leading Indian carrier who regularly operates international flights. Confirming this, a senior commander of another big Indian airline said that such 'informal' instructions have been issued in the past too whenever relations with Pakistan have deteriorated.<br/>