PIA temporarily suspends flight operations to Riyadh amid Houthi attacks on Saudi airports
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) temporarily suspended its flight operations to Riyadh amid the worsening situation in the Middle East, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafiz Khan said on Friday.
The announcement followed a series of Houthi missile and drone strikes targeting Saudi airports and other infrastructure. Saudi authorities said three people were killed and 36 injured, including a Pakistani national, in attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport on October 6 and 7.
Khan advised passengers to contact PIA’s call centre at 111-786-786 before leaving for the airport to check the latest status of their flights. The airline apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers by the situation, Khan said.
PIA flight PK-753 from Islamabad to Riyadh and flight PK-754 from Riyadh to Islamabad were also cancelled.
Read: Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport killed three Saudis as war escalates
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The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Thursday it had intercepted and destroyed multiple ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh and Khamis Mushait in the southwestern Asir region. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said two missiles had been fired towards the Saudi capital and another towards Khamis Mushait.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport with a ballistic missile, saying the strike had disrupted air traffic. He also warned workers at Saudi oil facilities and airlines operating in Saudi airspace about locations the group had declared targets for its military operations.
Houthi attacks
Yemen’s Houthis have carried out missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia since the Yemen war escalated in 2015, targeting military installations, airports, oil facilities and other critical infrastructure.
In September 2019, the group claimed responsibility for drone attacks on Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq processing facility and Khurais oil field, attacks that temporarily disrupted more than half of Saudi Arabia’s crude production.
The attacks continued in subsequent years, including strikes on Saudi energy infrastructure in March 2022.
Read More: Makkah defence alliance agrees to ‘rapid force deployment’ in Saudi Arabia: FO
More recently, Houthi attacks again targeted Saudi territory. In September, the group claimed missile and drone strikes on a Saudi military base and other targets, while Saudi authorities reported attacks affecting several cities.
On September 25, the senior military leadership of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye strongly condemned attacks targeting the holy city of Makkah as they reaffirmed their commitment to the collective defence of the kingdom under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Flight operations affected
Flight operations in Pakistan have faced repeated disruption since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering retaliatory attacks and airspace restrictions across the Middle East. More than 500 flights to and from Pakistani airports were cancelled in the first three days of the conflict, affecting routes to the Gulf and other destinations, while some foreign airlines diverted aircraft to Karachi.
PIA initially suspended flights to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Doha and Kuwait, while continuing services to Saudi Arabia on revised routes that avoided conflict-hit areas. By March 5, Pakistani and foreign airlines had cancelled 578 flights since the conflict began, with airspace closures also affecting services from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other cities.
Although flights to Gulf destinations began resuming after a ceasefire announced in April, some countries continued to impose partial airspace restrictions. Renewed tensions later brought further disruption, with PIA suspending flights to Fujairah for 48 hours in March and limiting its services to the United Arab Emirates to Al Ain.Read More