Afghan airspace closed for commercial flights; AI Kabul flight cancelled & US nonstops being rerouted

NEW DELHI: The Afghanistan airspace has been closed for commercial flights, including overflying, say airline sources. Air India’s nonstops enroute from the US to India are being diverted so that they do not enter the Afghan airspace.

These flights will divert to Doha or UAE and after refuelling fly to Delhi. Due to airspace closure, Air India had to cancel its Delhi-Kabul-Delhi flight that was supposed to operate on Monday. Vistara says it has stopped overflying Afghan airspace on its Delhi-London flights.

This closure will mean all flights between Delhi and the west, will have to take a longer alternate routes. Many other international flights flying between the east and the west will also be affected.