LAHORE:
The ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States has severely disrupted global air travel, and aviation sources say the sudden escalation has dealt a major blow to the airline industry, forcing the cancellation of tens of thousands of flights worldwide.
According to aviation authorities, more than 24,000 flights operated by hundreds of airlines worldwide, including Pakistan, have been canceled over the past six days, leaving millions of passengers stranded at airports and forcing airlines to repeatedly revise their schedules.
Industry sources said the crisis has already cost the aviation sector billions of rupees in losses, particularly through landing and take-off charges as well as other airport-related taxes.
Airport authorities said flight disruptions continued on Tuesday, with 144 flights canceled from airports across Pakistan, including Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport. Despite the widespread cancellations, four flights departed from Lahore to Saudi Arabia, airport sources confirmed.
Officials also noted a drop in the number of Umrah pilgrims traveling from Pakistan following the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and the United States, as uncertainty over regional airspace and flight schedules discourages travel.
The conflict has also resulted in several international flights being stranded at Pakistani airports after landing but failing to depart due to operational disruptions.
Airport sources said three planes belonging to different countries remained parked at different airports in Pakistan, including planes operated by Qatar Airways, Iran Air and Gulf Air.
According to officials, the Qatar Airways plane remained at Karachi airport, while an Iranian plane was parked at Lahore airport and a Gulf Air plane stayed at Islamabad airport after landing.
Passengers on these flights were eventually transported to their destinations through alternate flight arrangements.
