Ongoing tensions in the region have severely disrupted air travel, with 155 flights from Pakistan to the Middle East cancelled today alone. The cancellations reflect the continuing instability affecting regional airspace and airport operations.
According to aviation sources, the highest number of cancellations was reported from major Pakistani cities. In Karachi, 38 flights were cancelled, while Lahore saw 32 cancellations. Islamabad recorded 36 cancelled flights. Meanwhile, Peshawar had 16 cancellations, Sialkot 13, Faisalabad 8, Multan 10, and Quetta reported 2 cancelled flights.
Over the past four days, the total number of cancelled flights between Pakistan and the Middle East has exceeded 600. The disruption is part of a much larger aviation crisis unfolding across the region. In the same four-day period, more than 16,000 flights across the Middle East have reportedly been cancelled due to continued airspace closures and security concerns.
The situation has particularly impacted Iran, where approximately 1,000 flights have been cancelled as airports remain affected by ongoing airspace restrictions. Additionally, seven major Middle Eastern airports have collectively experienced around 10,000 flight cancellations.
Significant disruption has also been reported at Ben Gurion Airport, where 1,600 flights have been cancelled over the past four days. In Jordan, 828 flights were cancelled, while airports in Beirut and Haifa saw around 500 cancellations combined. Further disruptions were recorded in Damascus, Najaf, Basra, and other regional airports, where approximately 875 flights were cancelled.
Currently, the airspace and flight operations of eight countries remain closed or heavily restricted, compounding the aviation crisis. Major transit hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Kuwait City, and Manama have been among the most affected.
Efforts are ongoing to assist stranded passengers. At airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, passengers were transported via 34 special flights. Etihad Airways operated 24 flights before suspending its flight operations until 2 pm today. Similarly, Emirates dispatched 16 flights from Dubai, though some were forced to return due to operational constraints.
