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A file photo of Islamabad International Airport. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI:
Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has said that flight operations at Islamabad airport will be suspended for two hours on March 17 (tomorrow) instead of March 16 (today).
Earlier in the day, the Authority said its earlier Notice to Airmen (Notam) on the brief suspension of flight operations at Islamabad airport on March 16 was cancelled.
“The earlier Notam regarding temporary airspace restrictions in Lahore flight information region (FIR) and suspension of flight operations at Islamabad International Airport on March 16 (08:30 – 10:30 PKT) has been cancelled,” PAA stated on X.
“Normal operations will continue,” it clarified.
Later, PAA said in a Notam that arrival and departure operations at Islamabad airport would remain closed from 08:30 to 10:30 PKT on March 17 instead.
It cited “operational reasons” and advised arriving aircraft to “carry sufficient fuel to accommodate delays”.
This development came amid the regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, which has left air operations in many countries, including Pakistan, severely disrupted. Along with commercial flights, air cargo services were also suspended.
Flight cancelled
About 80 flights to Gulf destinations were canceled on Sunday, taking the total number of canceled flights to 1,576 in the past 16 days, sources said.
According to aviation sources, flight operations from Pakistan to the Middle East continue to face disruption due to the evolving situation in the region.
On Sunday, 80 flights departing from the country’s international airports to various Middle Eastern destinations had to be cancelled. The highest number of cancellations was reported at Karachi airport where around 26 flights could not depart.
The canceled flights from Karachi were bound for destinations including Doha, Kuwait and Bahrain, among other Middle Eastern cities.
Meanwhile, 18 flights were canceled at Islamabad airport and another 18 at Lahore airport, while 14 flights were canceled from Peshawar and four from Multan, sources said.
However, international flight operations from Sialkot and Faisalabad airports continued as normal.
