The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is causing serious disruption to global air travel. Pakistan’s aviation sector is also facing major problems as many flights continue to be cancelled.
According to aviation authorities, 145 flights connected to Middle Eastern destinations were cancelled from Pakistani airports on Wednesday. The cancellations affected passengers in several major cities and caused delays at many airports.
Officials said the situation has worsened due to regional airspace closures and rising security concerns. Airlines are struggling to maintain normal operations as the conflict continues.
The breakdown of cancelled flights shows the widespread impact across Pakistan. Around 35 flights were cancelled in Karachi and another 35 in Islamabad. Lahore recorded 29 cancelled flights, while 12 flights were cancelled in Multan.
Other cities were also affected. Peshawar reported 14 cancelled flights, and Sialkot had 12 cancellations. Quetta experienced 10 cancelled flights in total during the same period.
Authorities say nearly 900 flights have been cancelled in Pakistan since tensions in the Middle East escalated. The disruption began after military attacks involving Iran increased regional instability.
The crisis is not limited to Pakistan. Several countries in the Middle East have closed their airspace, which has severely affected international air traffic. On Wednesday alone, about 4,300 flights were cancelled across the region.
Major Gulf airports have seen thousands of cancellations during the past few days. Aviation data shows that more than 14,700 flights were cancelled at airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Doha.
Other affected locations include Iran, Iraq, Beirut, and Tel Aviv. Hundreds of flights from these cities have been cancelled due to security risks and military activity.
Many passengers are currently stranded in Gulf countries because commercial flights have been suspended. To assist travellers, 167 emergency evacuation flights have been operated from airports in the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has also started special operations to help stranded citizens. The airline is running two daily flights from the UAE. One flight departs from Dubai and the other from Abu Dhabi.
These flights are meant to bring back Pakistanis who were unable to travel due to the crisis. However, regular PIA flights to Jeddah, Riyadh, and Medina are still operating normally.
Several international airlines have also limited their services in the region. Emirates has delayed many of its regular flights from Dubai until March 7. Low-cost airline Air Arabia has suspended most flights from the UAE until March 9.
Saudi Airlines has also stopped several international routes until March 6 due to safety concerns.
In other related news also read Pakistan Temporarily Closes Selected Air Traffic Routes
Aviation authorities warn that travel disruptions may continue if the conflict intensifies. Airspace restrictions and security risks could keep affecting international flights in the coming days.
