Five flights departing from Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf have been cancelled amid rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Gulf states, airport sources said.
The cancelled services include three Riyadh flights, XY318, SV743 and RX676, as well as PK725 to Dammam and G9855 to Ras Al Khaimah. The cancellations follow repeated attacks by Houthi rebels on Saudi airports over the past several days.
The disruption extends well beyond Lahore. Yesterday it was reported that at least 34 flights from Pakistan to Riyadh were cancelled after Saudi authorities extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport by another 24 hours.
Lahore accounted for 12 of the cancellations, Karachi for six, Islamabad for four and Peshawar for two. At Lahore, a private airline cancelled flights XY318, F3656 and P9580 to Riyadh, along with XY884 to Dammam, citing tensions in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region.
The closure has also severely disrupted operations at Madinah, Jeddah and Dammam airports, which serve large numbers of Pakistani workers and pilgrims. Dammam Airport has resumed operations after a six-hour closure, but the schedule of flights between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia remains uncertain.