Xinjiang | Pakistan

Air India is lobbying the Indian government to convince China to let it use a sensitive military airspace zone in Xinjiang to shorten routes as the financial toll from a ban on Indian carriers flying over Pakistan mounts, a company document shows. The unusual request comes just weeks after direct India-China flights resumed after a five-year hiatus following a Himalayan border clash between the nations. Air India has been seeking to rebuild its reputation and international network after a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in Gujarat in June, killing 260 people and forcing it to briefly cut flights for safety checks. But that effort is being complicated by the closure of Pakistan airspace to Indian carriers since diplomatic tensions erupted in late April. For Air India, the country’s only carrier with a major international network, fuel costs have risen by as much as 29 per cent and journey times by up to three hours on some long-haul routes, according to the previously unreported document submitted t...

BEIJING: China’s Xinjiang region has resumed seafood imports from Pakistan after a two-year suspension, marking a significant step in strengthening regional trade ties, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Friday. The first shipment of fresh seafood from Pakistan arrived at Urumqi Tianshan International Airport, reviving operations at the airport’s designated inspection site for inbound aquatic […]