FR24 shows them using Pak-Afghan airspace once again, they had stopped doing so since the Ukraine incident and were flying through Iran and central /southern India. Right now they are doing a flight through there and heading into northern Iran, did weather force them this way?

And the issue is..?

It's the same routing as SQ318 currently following behind it..

Even Indian aircraft fly over Pak airspace, though they are restricted to FL300 & above if it's not an emergency.

MAS777 wrote:

And the issue is..?

It's the same routing as SQ318 currently following behind it..

Issue was they had were avoiding that space after the Ukraine event, saw then using it and thought WTF! seems they do so often per flightradar but not always.

None of the other carriers chose to avoid that area, SQ flies over it multiple tiimes daily sometimes whole que of SQ planes doing that.

Is the question flying over Pakistan a concern? Tons of carriers fly over especially that little corner over Lahore into Delhi that appears to be a trunk route between Europe and South East Asia.

Almost every flight I take between Europe and south east Asia takes that route and this has been ever since the mess in that part of the world started. However, it seems to be a very specific and well defined corridor and every flight I take has taken exactly the same route. Above India and from Iran onward, you see variations but Pakistan and Afghanistan are always the same.

Most like it is a protected corridor.

Yes, only MH chose to avoid that area for sometime.

What's your source of information that MH has a policy of avoiding Pakistani And Afghani Airspace?????
I checked the history of their past days routes and they flew there multiple times this month !

MH do avid this region since 2014 https://tribune.com.pk/story/865951/mal ... -pakistan/

For them its an alternate route which they have reintroduced, their main route is through the Arabian sea and Iran, unlike Singapore Airlines, Thai and Vietnam Airlines for whom Pak-Afghan is a regular route and the southern route is an alternate one, which only SQ seems to use when need be.

Also it is believed that unlike in Ukraine there are no BUK-rocket systems or similar in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This makes flying over these areas at high altitude safe since nothing can hit the planes there. At lower altitude it might be less safe, but I believe there is a minimum altitude on this route.

This always bothers me when I fly LHR-SIN-LHR with SQ, when they fly over Afghanistan. I'm probably worried about nothing but I feel safer / more at ease when I am out of that airspace and privately I wish they avoid it altogether even if it means longer flight times and more expensive tickets. That said they wouldn't fly if it wasn't deemed safe. The views on SQ318 are good though but I prefer it they fly over Iran on that route, which can be just as enjoyable.

Danny319 wrote:

This always bothers me when I fly LHR-SIN-LHR with SQ, when they fly over Afghanistan. I'm probably worried about nothing but I feel safer / more at ease when I am out of that airspace and privately I wish they avoid it altogether even if it means longer flight times and more expensive tickets. That said they wouldn't fly if it wasn't deemed safe. The views on SQ318 are good though but I prefer it they fly over Iran on that route, which can be just as enjoyable.

I had an employee of me flying over that area in a LH 747 FRA-SIN and they got electrical problems: cabin went dark and there was a burning smell. The captain announced: "we have a problem and need to divert. However, I don't think you will like us land in Afghanistan and Pakistan is probably not a good idea either so we will try to make it to India". They diverted to New Delhi. That was around 2010 when there was more fighting going on than now.

Danny319 wrote:

This always bothers me when I fly LHR-SIN-LHR with SQ, when they fly over Afghanistan. I'm probably worried about nothing but I feel safer / more at ease when I am out of that airspace and privately I wish they avoid it altogether even if it means longer flight times and more expensive tickets. That said they wouldn't fly if it wasn't deemed safe. The views on SQ318 are good though but I prefer it they fly over Iran on that route, which can be just as enjoyable.

United use this airspace all the time.

India now has another airport, Amritsar about 260 miles Northwest of Delhi with 12,000 ft runway.

Btw, 2 Indian aircraft have made in emergency landing in Pakistan..
One AI: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/7UW5Dk ... istan.html

Another 9W, November 2016: http://m.indiatoday.in/story/jet-flight ... 05317.html