The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Monday decided to suspend certain air routes within the Karachi and Lahore Flight Information Regions (FIR) during specified hours, citing the evolving regional situation.

Due to the regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, similar to other countries, air operations from Pakistan to the Middle East have been severely disrupted.

Along with passengers, air cargo services have also been suspended, halting the transport of various goods, including food items and other supplies. It is still unclear when flights will resume.

According to a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by PAA today, the decision was taken in view of changing circumstances in the region and involves the temporary closure of designated air routes at different times.

Under the plan, commercial flight routes within the Karachi and Lahore FIRs will remain closed daily from 9am to 3pm between March 3 and March 31.

During these hours, the affected airspace will not be available for commercial operations.

It said the measure may have been taken due to internal technical requirements and unavoidable operational considerations.

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According to data from the PAA, more than 500 flights departing from and arriving at various airports across Pakistan have been cancelled. The suspension of air cargo services has also disrupted the delivery of food and other goods, causing difficulties not only for passengers but also for industrialists.

Flights from Pakistani airports, including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, and Multan, operated by PIA, private airlines, and foreign carriers to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Sharjah, Dubai, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and other countries have been cancelled.

Airport sources stated that some airspaces are closed, leading to the suspension of operations. Currently, there is no information on when flights will resume. Only flights to and from Saudi Arabia are continuing.

If the situation persists or worsens, air operations may face further disruptions. According to Khawaja Ayub Naseem, a senior leader of the Travel Agents Association, fear and uncertainty are also causing many Umrah pilgrims to hesitate to travel.

Hundreds of pilgrims had booked tickets via Dubai. While ticket refunds are possible, hotel bookings are non-refundable. If the situation continues, travel agents could face losses amounting to millions of rupees.

While Pakistan’s airspace remains fully available and secure, airlines have adjusted operations in response to the evolving security situation and restrictions in neighbouring airspace.

Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport witnessed extraordinary activity over the weekend, with dozens of flights of foreign airlines diverted to Karachi, creating scenes reminiscent of the 1990 Gulf crisis.