RAWALPINDI: Despite the reopening of Pakistan’s airspace following the ceasefire with India, flight operations — both domestic and international — remained disrupted across the country on Sunday, causing serious inconvenience to thousands of travellers.

Cancellations and delays of inbound and outbound flights worsened the situation, with two major Gulf carriers yet to resume operations after the airspace was officially reopened by Pakistani authorities on Saturday evening.

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) had earlier issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) restricting the country’s airspace from 4am to 12pm on May 12. However, restrictions were lifted by 6pm on Saturday, after which some domestic flights resumed.

Flight data from Islamabad International Airport showed that 30 scheduled flights — 25 of them operated by international airlines — were cancelled on Sunday.

Similar disruptions were observed at Jinnah Inter­national Airport in Karachi and Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, where multiple cancellations and delays affected departing and arriving passengers, including intending pilgrims.

Smaller airports in Multan, Peshawar, Quetta, Sialkot and Faisalabad also experienced disruptions. Some airlines reportedly prioritised flights to Saudi Arabia for Haj pilgrims over domestic routes, contributing to further delays and cancellations.

The disruptions persisted despite Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and a few private carriers resuming limited operations. PIA confirmed that 97 domestic and international flights had departed on Sunday, although it acknowledged challenges due to heavy passenger traffic.

A PIA spokesperson acknowledged that the airline’s flights were disrupted due to a rush of travellers but hoped the situation would become normal within the next two or three days.

Operational factors

Aviation expert Qasir Ansari, who served with the national flag carrier for over two decades, explained that the cancellations stemmed from multiple operational factors.

He insisted that flight scheduling requires coordination of aircraft, crew, destination permissions and catering. After the sudden closure and reopening of airspace, foreign and private airlines need time to reorganise resources, he added.

Mr Ansari said that international carriers often deploy crews based on destination requirements, and many employ Indian personnel.

“Amid the prevailing tensions between Pakistan and India, foreign airlines may be re-evaluating the deployment of Indian staff on Pakistan-bound flights,” he said.

However, Mr Ansari hoped that flight schedules would likely become normal within the next 72 hours when all foreign airlines resume their flights.

Among the passengers affected was businessman Khalid Jilani from Swat, who was stranded in Kuala Lumpur after the closure of Pakistani airspace. He told Dawn by phone that he had originally booked a Rs100,000 ticket to return from China via Malaysia, but had to purchase another ticket for the same amount after his flight was cancelled.

“I have also spent Rs5,000 per day on accommodation in Kuala Lumpur, and I’ve been told I will only get a refund of Rs25,000 for the cancelled flight,” he said, adding that he now had a confirmed PIA ticket for Islamabad on Tuesday.

Refunds

In Lahore, Muhammad Imran, an intending pilgrim from Sialkot, told Dawn from the departure lounge of Allama Iqbal International Airport that his Haj flight had been delayed by over 17 hours and was expected to take off at 9pm on Sunday.

He said that earlier his flight was scheduled for 2:30am and, in line with the schedule, he left Sialkot and had hardly travelled for 15 minutes when he received a call from one of his friends that his flight had been delayed and would depart at about 2pm.

“I returned home and later left for Lahore to get my flight, which was rescheduled for 8:30pm. When I reached the airport, I was informed that my Haj flight was further delayed for 30 minutes. I hope it will not be delayed further,” Mr Imran said.

Travel agent Fakhar Abbas confirmed that some foreign airlines had suspended flights until May 11, but were now working to accommodate affected passengers.

When asked about refunds for cancelled flights, he said each airline has its own policy.

“If a traveller had a non-refundable ticket, they are not eligible for a refund. Those who don’t want to travel on the same airline will be able to get a refund in line with the airline’s policy,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2025