Following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Tuesday resumed its flight operations to Gulf countries, restoring routes that were temporarily suspended due to regional tensions.

According to a PIA spokesperson, PIA has recommenced flights from Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi to various Gulf destinations, including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Dubai, as the security situation in the Persian Gulf stabilizes.

The spokesperson stated that flight suspensions were a precautionary measure in response to the military conflict in the region. The spokesperson detailed that several flights were delayed due to airspace closures and operational disruptions.

Notably, a flight from Islamabad to Dammam departed after a 15hour delay at 12:30 PM, while a Karachi to Medina flight took off at 1:00 PM after a 14.5hour delay due to closed airspace. Similarly, flight PK713 from Lahore to Medina departed with a 7hour delay at 1:00 PM.

Other resumed flights include PK209 from Sialkot to Sharjah (15hour delay), PK221 from Multan to Dubai, PK251 from Sialkot to Doha, PK761 from Karachi to Jeddah, and a flight from Islamabad to Abu Dhabi, all of which departed around 1:00 PM.

The spokesperson also noted that the delays in outbound flights would affect the return schedules as well. Passengers have been advised to stay updated through PIA’s call center or website and also have been requested to remain patient during the recovery of normal operations.

The airline apologized for the inconvenience, emphasizing that the decision to limit operations the previous night was made in accordance with the aviation safety protocols.

It is worth noting that on the night of June 23, Iran targeted US military bases in the Gulf region with missile strikes. In response to the heightened threat, Qatar closed its airspace, prompting Pakistan and several neighboring countries to suspend their flight operations temporarily.