Flights to Lahore resumed; more than 25,000 passengers affected in Pakistan
Imran orders the national carrier to give priority to repatriate passengers in the Gulf
Dubai: Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, has finally been opened for domestic and international flight today, said Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
Flight operations at Lahore airport partially resumed on Sunday morning after being suspended for more than 80 hours since Wednesday amidst tension between India and Pakistan.
A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Sunday said flight operations to and from Lahore airport, had resumed along existing routes.
The airport will be fully functional on March 8.
All airlines have been notified about the resumption of flight operations, according to a tweet by the PCAA.
More than 400 flights and 25,000 passengers were affected due to the closure of Pakistani airspace for about four days, according to the PCCA.
Flight operations to other airports including Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta resumed on Friday March 1 while Lahore opened on March 3 due to its proximity with the border between India and Pakistan.
Other smaller international airports in Sialkot, Multan and Faisalabad are expected to be opened for international flights on March 4.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered PIA — the national flag carrier — to give priority to the passengers stranded in Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Gulf countries as thousands of passengers are stranded in the airports in these countries due to the cancellation of flights after the air space was closed.
Minister Muhammad Mian Soomro, Pakistan’s Aviation and Privatisation Minister, said in a statement that Prime Minister Imran had given instructions to facilitate stranded passengers on a priority “especially, those who are stuck in Saudi Arabia and Gulf as they may be facing a shortage of funds and expiry of their visas”.
Following the instructions, PIA chief Air Marshal (retired) Arshad Malik assured the government that every possible effort will be carried out to clear the backlog within the shortest possible span of time.
UAE General Civil AviationAuthority announcement
In Abu Dhabi, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced the resumption of flights to Pakistan and allowed airlines registered in the UAE to resume flights to Quetta International Airport and Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.
The move, GCAA said, follows the positive developments in Pakistan.