Dense fog enveloped Karachi and the surrounding areas on Thursday morning, partially disrupting flight operations at Jinnah International Airport, delaying and cancelling several domestic and international flights.

Visibility dropped to as low as 50 meters, affecting flight movements at the airport and in nearby areas, including Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Malir, and DHA Phase 8.

At least 10 incoming and outgoing flights were delayed due to the fog. At the same time, several domestic and international services were rescheduled for later in the day, with some shifted to evening schedules as low visibility persisted.

Pakistan International Airlines’ Karachi-to-Lahore flight PK-302, scheduled to depart at 8am, was delayed. Flights operated by foreign airlines from Karachi to Jeddah and Riyadh also faced delays.

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Qatar Airways’ Karachi-bound flight scheduled for 9am was delayed and rescheduled for 4:30pm. A private domestic airline’s flights from Karachi to Lahore and Faisalabad were also delayed.

Flights operated by Flydubai from Karachi to Dubai, Saudi Airlines from Karachi to Jeddah, and Air Sial from Karachi to Lahore and Peshawar were among those affected.

The disruption also led to the cancellation of six flights. These included Air China’s CA-946 from Karachi to Beijing, AirAsia X’s D7-109 bound for Kuala Lumpur, Air Sial’s PF-123 to Islamabad and PF-145 to Lahore, and Airblue’s PA-206 to Islamabad and PA-404 to Lahore.

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Heavy fog was also reported in areas including Jamiatur-Rasheed Ahsanabad and Gulzar-e-Hijri, Scheme 33. Passengers were advised to contact their respective airlines for updates on flight schedules, rescheduling and refunds amid continuing low visibility.