ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) obtained approval to operate flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as security conditions continue to evolve across the Middle East. PIA, however, is allowed to operate only two flights a day.
According to airline authorities, the national carrier will operate one daily flight to Dubai and another to Abu Dhabi. The approval offers partial operational relief as regional tensions disrupt broader aviation schedules. Earlier, PIA had also obtained clearance to resume flights to Dammam. However, the airline temporarily suspended services to the Saudi city after a missile strike on Bahrain heightened security concerns in nearby airspace.
Despite these developments, PIA continues regular operations to Jeddah, Riyadh and Medina. Officials confirmed that flights to Saudi Arabia now follow alternative paths over the Arabian Sea and pass through Yemeni airspace to ensure passenger safety while maintaining schedule integrity.
Wider Aviation Disruptions Continue
Meanwhile, long-haul PIA flights to Europe and Canada face delays and route changes due to the closure of Iranian airspace. As a result, aircraft now travel through Afghanistan’s Wakhan corridor before heading toward destinations in Europe and North America.
Earlier, the escalating Iran-Israel-US conflict severely disrupted global air travel. Major Middle Eastern transit hubs, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Doha in Qatar, either shut down or imposed heavy restrictions after U.S. and Israeli strikes reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The international airlines have cancelled thousands of flights amid the ongoing war between the United States/Israel, and Iran.
