New decision taken on PIA flights as regional tensions rise

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has received permission to operate two daily flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid the evolving security situation in the Middle East, ARY News reported citing sources.

According to airline officials, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been granted approval to operate one daily flight to Dubai and another to Abu Dhabi.

Earlier, the airline had also received permission to resume flights to Dammam. However, flights to the Saudi city have been temporarily suspended after a missile attack on Bahrain heightened security concerns in the region, PIA sources said.

Despite the regional tensions, flight operations to Jeddah, Riyadh and Medina are continuing as per routine schedule. Officials said flights to Saudi Arabia are currently using routes over the Arabian Sea and passing through Yemen to reach their destinations.

Meanwhile, PIA flights bound for Europe and Canada are facing disruptions due to the closure of Iranian airspace. As a result, aircraft are being rerouted through Afghanistan’s Wakhan corridor before proceeding to destinations in Europe and North America, sources added.

Thousands of flights canceled after Iran-Israel-US conflict 

Earlier, Global air travel remained heavily disrupted on Sunday as the war in Iran kept major Middle Eastern airports, including Dubai, the world’s busiest international hub, closed for a second day in one of the sharpest aviation shocks in recent years.

Key transit airports, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Doha in Qatar, were shut or severely restricted as much of the region’s airspace remained closed after U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The ripple effects were felt far beyond the Middle East, with tens of thousands of passengers stranded as far as Bali, Kathmandu and Frankfurt.