Air traffic control in Lahore barred a Russian cargo plane from entering Pakistan’s airspace as prior permission for the purpose had not been obtained, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

In this connection, the airport sources say the aircraft had left Rayong – a city in Thailand for Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia which is located in the Caucasus region along the Black Sea. Five hours and 21 minutes later it reached Ludhiana in India.

The cargo plane required another three hours and 44 minutes for completing the journey. However, the air traffic control at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, stopped it from entering the country’s airspace. As a result, the plane kept circling over Ludhiana for 30 minutes and was forced to return to Thailand.

According to the sources, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) praised the air traffic control staff for their action and will award appreciation certificates to them for their excellent performance.