At least 34 flights from Pakistan to Riyadh have been cancelled after Saudi authorities extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport by another 24 hours, disrupting travel for Pakistani passengers heading to Saudi Arabia.
The airport will remain closed until midnight tonight. Airport sources said the extension was ordered to allow a review of the radar and communication systems. Flight operations in Saudi Arabia remain uncertain.
Flights from the major airports in Pakistan have been affected. According to sources, the cancellations include 12 flights from Lahore, six from Karachi, four from Islamabad and two from Peshawar.
At the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, a private airline cancelled flights XY318, F3656 and P9580 to Riyadh, along with flight XY884 to Dammam. The airport cited tensions in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region.
The closure has also severely affected flight operations at Madinah, Jeddah and Dammam airports, which serve large numbers of Pakistani travellers, including workers and pilgrims.
Flight operations at Dammam Airport have resumed after a six-hour closure. However, the schedule of flights between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia remains uncertain.