Air travel fare between Pakistan and the UAE is set to become costlier as regional tensions caused by US and IIran hostilities disrupt flight operations.
After Iran’s strikes on US installations in the Middle East, several international airlines have started avoiding UAE airspace due to security concerns.
This has forced carriers to adopt longer alternate routes, increasing both travel time and fuel consumption.
Aviation sources say Pakistani flights are now using Saudi airspace instead of passing through the UAE.
These routes pass through western and southern Saudi Arabia before connecting via Muscat to rejoin earlier paths.
The change has led to a noticeable increase in travel duration. Flights from Dammam to Islamabad are taking around 1 hour and 40 minutes longer. Routes from Dammam to Lahore and Multan have also extended by up to 90 minutes.
Flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah to Pakistan are now taking around 15 minutes extra. Similarly, flights from Jeddah and Riyadh require an additional 25 minutes, while Madinah to Islamabad flights have extended by about 35 minutes.
Experts say longer routes are increasing fuel and operational costs for airlines. This additional burden may soon be passed on to passengers in the form of higher ticket prices.
Officials say these disruptions are likely to continue until the regional security situation stabilises, raising concerns of sustained increase in airfares for travellers to and from the UAE.
Flight operations disrupted across Pakistan
Air operations faced major disruption at six airports across Pakistan, where 52 return flights were cancelled, causing trouble for thousands of passengers.
According to aviation sources, the cancelled flights include services of Pakistan International Airlines, Airblue, Air Arabia, Iran Air, Qatar Airways, AirSial, Flynas, Oman Air and Gulf Air.
At Karachi Jinnah International Airport, a total of 28 return flights were cancelled. These flights were scheduled for destinations including Dubai, Mashhad, Dammam, Madinah, Riyadh, Baghdad, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Muscat and Malaysia.
At Lahore Allama Iqbal International Airport, four flights to Dubai were cancelled.
