Major UAE airlines have suspended several flights to Pakistan as military tensions escalate between Pakistan and India following strikes launched by New Delhi under an operation codenamed “Sindoor”.
Emirates Airline confirmed on Wednesday that flights to and from Sialkot, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar have been cancelled, according to media reports. The Dubai-based carrier stated that flights to and from Karachi remain unaffected at this time and has requested passengers flying from Pakistan to not proceed to their local airports.
However, flydubai flights are “operating to schedule,” the airline’s spokesperson told Arabian Business in an emailed statement.
“flydubai flights to Karachi on 07 May are operating to schedule and we have also resumed our operations to Faisalabad, Lahore, Multan and Sialkot. We continue to monitor the situation closely and the safety of our passengers and crew is our priority. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to our passengers’ travel schedules,” the statement said.
“Customers are advised to contact the flydubai Contact Centre in Dubai at (+971) 600 54 44 45, the flydubai travel shop or their respective travel agent for their rebooking or refund options. Passengers are also advised to ensure that their contact details are updated by visiting Manage your booking and checking Flight status on flydubai.com for the latest information regarding their flights,” flydubai added.
Etihad Airways flights from Abu Dhabi to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, which were en route on May 6, have reportedly returned to Abu Dhabi due to airspace restrictions. The airline has suspended future flights from those destinations to Abu Dhabi.
More than 25 international flights were rerouted to steer clear of Pakistani airspace. As of Wednesday morning local time, a total of 52 flights either heading to or departing from Pakistan had been cancelled, according to data from FlightRadar24.
There were 57 international flights operating in the country’s airspace when India struck, a Pakistan army spokesperson told Reuters.
Air travel within both India and Pakistan also faced major disruptions. Several Indian airports were shut down, prompting airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air to cancel services. Flight-tracking visuals revealed a near-total absence of commercial aircraft over northwestern India and across all of Pakistan’s skies, with only a few planes still in the air.
Qatar Airways has suspended flights from Doha to Pakistan. The airline issued a statement on social media, explaining that it has “temporarily suspended flights to Pakistan due to Pakistani airspace closure”.
The disruptions come as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) grounded all its flights for 12 hours on Wednesday.
“PIA has currently cancelled flights for the next 12 hours. Passengers are requested to keep in contact with PIA,” Abdullah Khan, the PIA spokesperson, told Arab News. He added that flights already airborne had been diverted to Karachi while all ground operations were put on hold.
Within India, local carriers have also issued statements on cancellations, especially in the northern part of the country. SpiceJet said that “airports in parts of northern India, including Dharamshala, Leh, Jammu, Srinagar, and Amritsar are closed until further notice. Departures, arrivals, and consequential flights may be impacted.”
IndiGo stated that flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amristar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner and Jodhpur have been cancelled for the day.
Internationally, some flights originating from other countries have also been impacted due to the airspace closures. Korean Air is rerouting its Seoul Incheon–Dubai flights, opting for a different route.
Taiwan’s EVA Air has adjusted its Europe-bound flights to avoid affected airspace. One flight from Vienna was diverted back to Austria, while a Taipei-Milan flight was rerouted via Vienna for refuelling.
Thai Airways warned passengers of potential delays after announcing that flights to Europe and South Asia would be rerouted from early Wednesday. Taiwan’s China Airlines activated contingency measures without providing specific details.
Military situation
The flight disruptions follow what has been described as the most serious military escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades. India’s “Operation Sindoor” targeted what New Delhi claims were sites linked to a recent attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said the Pakistani military had downed five Indian jets in retaliation for the strikes. The country also reported that at least 26 civilians had been killed and 46 injured in Indian attacks on six locations inside Pakistani territory.
All passengers on affected flights are advised to stay tuned on the airlines’ official and social media channels for further updates, and to plan their journey accordingly.
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