Modi's plane flies over Pak airspace en route to Italy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special VVIP flight, en route to Italy for the G20 Summit, flew over the Pakistani airspace on Friday and the aircraft will use it again on its return journey after getting formal permission from Islamabad, according to a media report in Islamabad on Sunday.

Prime Minister Modi's plane Boeing 777, 300ER, K7066 entered the Pakistani airspace from Bahawalpur, passed through Turbat and Panjgur and via Iran and Turkey reached Italy, The Express Tribune reported.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) sources, Indian authorities had requested Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for permission to use the airspace for Modi's special flight.

Pakistan accepted the request, allowing the Indian prime minister to fly through its airspace.

The relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated after India announced withdrawing special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August, 2019.

India has told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Italy on Friday to participate in the G20 Summit where he is joined by other world leaders in discussions on global economic and health recovery from COVID-19, sustainable development and climate change.

The report quoted the CAA spokesperson saying that on its way back to India after the Climate Summit in Glasgow, Prime Minister Modi's plane will use Pakistan's airspace again.

Earlier, an Indian commercial aircraft also used Pakistani airspace after obtaining necessary permission, according to the newspaper.

Last month, Prime Minister Modi's plane en route to the United States flew over the Pakistan airspace after Islamabad gave permission for the aircraft.

In October 2019, Pakistan had denied India's request to use its airspace for Modi's flight to Saudi Arabia.

The same year in September also, Pakistan had denied overflight clearance for the prime minister's aircraft.