Pakistan suspends flight operations in Lahore and Sialkot due to rising tensions in the region.
The Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) announced on Thursday that flight operations at Lahore and Sialkot airports were temporarily halted due to rising tensions with India.
In a statement, the PAA clarified that both Lahore and Sialkot airports would remain closed until 12 noon.
Passengers were advised by the authority to remain in contact with their respective airlines for updates on the evolving situation.
Additionally, the PAA stated that flight services at Karachi and Islamabad airports were also suspended until noon on the same day.
The authority attributed the suspension at Islamabad Airport to operational concerns.
The closures were implemented in response to increasing risks of Indian forces breaching Pakistani airspace.
Several Asian airlines, reacting to the situation, announced the cancellation or rerouting of flights following Indian airstrikes inside Pakistan, intensifying the crisis between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Flight tracking platforms displayed a shift in routes, with numerous aircraft navigating through Oman, the UAE, and Kuwait, indicating a potential buildup of air traffic congestion.
According to Pakistani officials, 57 international flights were airborne within Pakistan’s airspace when the Indian strikes occurred.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office issued a statement condemning India’s actions, stating they posed significant threats to Gulf-based commercial flights and endangered civilian lives.
Before this escalation, the PAA had confirmed late Wednesday that all airports in the country were operating normally after a brief airspace closure.
The earlier suspension of operations was a response to Indian missile strikes on various cities in Punjab and Azad Kashmir during Tuesday night, prompting Pakistan’s armed forces to retaliate by shooting down five Indian fighter jets, destroying a combat drone, and eliminating a brigade headquarters.
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