Houthi attacks on major Saudi airports severely disrupted international flight operations and grounded dozens of flights across Pakistan. Over the past twenty-four hours, aviation authorities reported that 114 flights across Pakistani airports were canceled or rendered non-operational. Furthermore, seventy-seven scheduled flights suffered significant operational delays due to compounding regional airspace restrictions. The disruptions follow the temporary closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh through the night of October 17. Consequently, air travel between Pakistan and the Middle East has dropped to unprecedented low levels.
The closure of Riyadh’s primary airport led to the cancellation of twenty-eight scheduled flights between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia today alone. In response to the regional airspace crisis, Pakistan International Airlines diverted flight PK-765 from Multan to an alternative regional airport. Additionally, authorities canceled two flights from Karachi to Jeddah, alongside scheduled departures from Sialkot and Multan to Dammam. Meanwhile, international flights linking Lahore to Medina experienced extensive delays exceeding five hours. Therefore, thousands of displaced travelers remain stranded at major domestic and international airport terminals.
The ongoing international flight crisis also caused severe cascading disruptions across domestic airline networks and regional flight schedules. Domestic routes connecting Karachi to Lahore saw five flights delayed by three to eight hours. Similarly, seven scheduled flights between Karachi and Islamabad experienced unexpected delays ranging from one to five hours. Furthermore, four regional flights between Lahore and Skardu suffered delays of up to three hours. Thus, major domestic carriers continue revising daily flight rosters to manage the compounding backlog.
Government officials and aviation administrators strongly condemned the Houthi attacks on civilian transportation hubs across Saudi Arabia. Pakistani diplomatic representatives emphasized that targeting international airports poses grave threats to broader regional peace and security. Moreover, authorities urged international airlines to coordinate closely with passenger welfare services to assist stranded travelers. In the meantime, ground support crews maintain round-the-clock operations at major airports to process rescheduled itineraries.
Ultimately, normal flight schedules depend heavily on restoring full operational capacity at key Saudi aviation hubs over coming days. Travelers are advised to check real-time flight statuses before departing for local airport terminals. Meanwhile, airline management teams continue exploring alternative routing options to safely transport affected international passengers. As regional security agencies manage the crisis, international diplomatic efforts aim to secure civilian air corridors.