ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Monday announced partial closure of its airspace for commercial flights from March 3 till March 31, amid widescale regional airspace disruptions due to heightened tensions in Middle East.
Regional airspace shutdowns have resulted from US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began on Saturday, and Tehran’s counterstrikes against Israel and US bases in Gulf countries, affecting key air corridors and forcing airlines to cancel or reroute thousands of flights.
Around 184 international flights between Pakistan and Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Sharjah and other destinations were canceled in past 24 hours due to the geopolitical developments in the Middle East and related airspace closures, Pakistani airport officials said on Monday evening.
The PAA said on Monday night it had decided to partially close the Karachi and Lahore flight routes for commercial flights, without specifying a reason for the move.
“Selected ATS route segments in Karachi and Lahore FIRs unavailable from 03–31 March 2026, daily 0900–1500 PKT due operational reasons,” the authority said in a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).
