Pakistan restores flights to Saudi Arabia, partially resumes Dubai routes amid Middle East crisis

Pakistan has fully restored flights to Saudi Arabia and partially resumed operations to Dubai after widespread cancellations caused by escalating tensions in the Middle East, state-run Radio Pakistan reported on Friday.

The crisis intensified last week when US and Israeli air strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran on US military bases across Gulf countries. The confrontations have led multiple nations to close their airspace, disrupting international travel.

Quoting aviation sources, Radio Pakistan said partial flight operations have resumed from Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi to Gulf destinations, with full service restored to Saudi Arabia and limited service to Dubai.

Pakistan’s international airports had previously experienced over 570 flight cancellations to Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, since February 28. Carriers affected include Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, Pakistan International Airlines, Airblue, Flydubai, and Qatar Airways.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the government had taken measures to assist Pakistanis stranded in Iran and the Gulf. Special facilitation desks were established, while Pakistan’s embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulates in Jeddah and Dubai actively assisted nationals. Similar arrangements were in place in Tehran, Zahedan and Mashhad.

Officials estimated that airspace closures and disruptions in Gulf countries caused Pakistan a revenue shortfall of around Rs20 billion.

The crisis has also had global repercussions, with over 13,000 flights cancelled internationally. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, flights in the region carry approximately 900,000 seats daily, meaning affected travellers could exceed one million.