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An archive photograph 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) regarding the brief suspension of flight operations at Islamabad airport on March 16 was cancelled.
“The previous Notam on temporary airspace restrictions in the Lahore flight information region (FIR) and suspension of flight operations at Islamabad International Airport on March 16 (08:30 am – 10:30 am PKT) has been cancelled,” the PAA stated in X.
“Normal operations will continue,” he clarified.
Later, the PAA in a Notam said that arrival and departure operations at Islamabad airport would remain closed from 08:30 am to 10:30 am PKT on March 17.
It cited “operational reasons” and advised arriving planes to “bring sufficient fuel to deal with the delay.”
These developments came amid the regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, which has left air operations in many countries, including Pakistan, severely disrupted. In addition to commercial flights, air cargo services were also suspended.
Canceled flights
Around 80 flights to Gulf destinations were canceled on Sunday, bringing the total number of canceled flights to 1,576 in the last 16 days, sources said.
According to aviation sources, flight operations from Pakistan to the Middle East continue to face disruptions due to the evolving situation in the region.
On Sunday, 80 flights leaving the country’s international airports bound for various destinations in the Middle East had to be canceled. The highest number of cancellations was recorded at Karachi airport, where around 26 flights could not take off.
The canceled flights from Karachi were destined for destinations such as 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 from Peshawar and four from Multan were cancelled, sources said.
However, international flight operations from Sialkot and Faisalabad airports continued as normal.
