DUBAI — Several Gulf carriers have suspended flights to Pakistan, including Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, with airport closures in northern India also affecting many flight routes.
Emirates has canceled flights from Dubai to Sialkot, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar on Wednesday. “Customers on canceled flights must not proceed to the airport,” it said on its website.
Flights to and from Karachi are not impacted and will be operating as per schedule, the airline said.
Etihad said it had canceled flights to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad on Wednesday.
“Additionally, some other services may be rerouted to avoid the affected airspace, potentially resulting in extended flight times,” Etihad Airways said in a statement.
Qatar Airways said it had “temporarily suspended flights” to Pakistan, citing Pakistani airspace closure.
“The airline is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to prioritize the safety of its passengers and crew,” it said.
Meanwhile, Indian carriers including SpiceJet and IndiGo have issued travel advisories regarding cancelations to and from destinations in northern India.
“Due to the ongoing situation, airports in parts of northern India, including Dharamshala (DHM), Leh (IXL), Jammu (IXJ), Srinagar (SXR), and Amritsar (ATQ), are closed until further notice. Departures, arrivals, and consequential flights may be impacted. Passengers are advised to plan their journey accordingly and check flight status,” SpiceJet said Wednesday morning.
Multiple major airlines said Wednesday they were re-routing or canceling planes to and from Europe due to the escalation between India and Pakistan, with more than two dozen international flights diverted to avoid Pakistan airspace, according to FlightRadar24 data.
Many airlines had already begun to avoid flying over Pakistan prior to India’s strikes early Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, access to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has been restored in Pakistan as conflict breaks out with India.
Internet watchdog Netblocks confirmed access to the social media site was restored on Wednesday in an email to CNN.
It had been banned in the country since February 2024, around the time of the Pakistan elections, according to Amnesty International. — CNN
