As many as 34 flights from Pakistani airports to Riyadh were cancelled on Monday after Saudi authorities temporarily closed King Khalid International Airport following another deadly attack.
The shutdown caused major disruption for passengers travelling from several Pakistani cities to Saudi Arabia. Authorities in the Kingdom kept Riyadh airport closed while technical teams examined its radar and communication systems. The closure was expected to remain in effect until midnight.
Flight operations in other Saudi cities were also affected. Airports in Jeddah, Madinah and Dammam faced disruption because of the situation in Riyadh.
According to the report, 12 flights were cancelled from Lahore. Six were cancelled from Karachi, four from Islamabad and two from Peshawar. Several private airline services were among the affected departures.
At Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, flights XY-318, XY-884 and F3-656 were cancelled. Flight XY-884, which was scheduled to operate between Lahore and Dammam, was also affected.
Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport faced additional disruption unrelated to the Riyadh closure. Ten international and domestic flights were cancelled because of technical reasons.
Cancelled international services included flights to Dhaka, Bangkok, Beijing and Dubai. Domestic routes connecting Karachi with Islamabad, Lahore and Sukkur were also affected.
The cancellations created fresh problems for passengers already facing uncertainty over regional air travel.
Travellers were advised to remain in contact with their airlines before leaving for airports as schedules could change depending on developments in Saudi Arabia.
Normal operations are expected to depend on security clearance and the restoration of airport systems in Riyadh.
