Afghan traders are paying higher prices for transporting their goods to India, after Pakistan closed its airspace to commercial flights due to tensions with India, officials said Saturday.

Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries said that the Afghan traders are paying double the previous amount as they transport goods on passenger flights, instead of cargo flights through Pakistan, to India and Saudi Arabia.
There has also been reduction in the number of flights over Afghanistan airspace.
The deputy of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Tawfiq Dawari, said that all cargo flights from Kabul to New Delhi and Jeddah through the air corridors have been cancelled during the past four days.
The ticket price from Kabul and Delhi has increased to 400 US dollars which is one and half times higher as compared to regular flight price between Kabul and New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Ariana Afghan Airlines said that Pakistan’s aviation officials had announced that Pakistan’s airspace would remain closed for another two days.
Currently, Afghanistan is using Iran’s airspace for flights to New Delhi, a route which is one-and-half times longer than Pakistan route.
Pakistan closed its airspace after Islamabad and New Delhi claimed to have shot down each other's fighter jets on 28 February 2019.