Pakistan Partially Closes Airspace Amid Middle East Tensions

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Islamabad: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Monday announced a partial closure of Pakistan’s airspace for commercial flights from March 3 to March 31, citing operational reasons linked to widespread regional disruptions.

The move follows escalating military developments involving Iran and Israel, which have disrupted key air corridors across the region and forced airlines to cancel or reroute large numbers of flights.

Pakistani officials said around 184 international flights between Pakistan and destinations such as Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Sharjah were cancelled in the past 24 hours due to the evolving geopolitical situation.

According to the PAA, selected air traffic service route segments within the flight information regions of Karachi and Lahore will remain unavailable each day between 09:00 and 15:00 Pakistan time, as notified through a Notice to Airmen.

An airport official said that more than 100 inbound and outbound flights were cancelled on Monday alone. Karachi recorded 32 cancellations, including services to the Kuwait and the Bahrain, while Lahore saw 22 cancellations to Gulf destinations.

Further flight disruptions were reported at airports in Peshawar, Faisalabad, Quetta and Multan.

Authorities said the situation is being closely monitored and advised passengers to confirm flight schedules with their airlines before travelling.