Are you travelling for Umrah or Hajj 2026 from Pakistan? Here is all you need to know.
The ongoing Iran-US-Israel situation has made travel harder, especially for those who already have valid visas or tickets. This is because most of the people are unable to find available flights to take them out of the country.
Here you can see which routes are operational for travel from Pakistan, and through which routes one can travel to Europe or the United States.
Major news for those travelling for Umrah from Pakistan
Former Vice President of the Overseas Employment Promoters Association, Adnan Paracha, said that Gulf countries have also been affected by the conflict.
As a result, the connectivity of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) routes to Gulf countries has significantly reduced.
Most flight operations were towards the UAE, including airlines such as Emirates, Flydubai, Air Arabia, and Etihad Airways, along with many other carriers that used to transport manpower from Pakistan abroad.
Umrah 2926: Limited flights trigger massive fare hike
He further stated that the number of Umrah pilgrims is very high. In Saudi Arabia, there are limited flights to Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam.
As for fares, a ticket that previously cost Rs65,000 is now not even available for Rs110,000 to Rs120,000 under the current situation.
Additionally, airline carriers from the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar are currently on hold. This has caused significant losses to the aviation industry.
Meanwhile, workers whose visas have already been issued and are nearing expiry are also deeply concerned.
What routes can you take to leave country?
Sources said that when these operations began on the 28th, around 15 aircraft were present at Karachi Airport.
Gradually, they departed, and currently no aircraft remain stationed at Karachi Airport.
Different countries’ airspaces opened temporarily from time to time, and the aircraft returned to their respective countries.
Westbound flights from Pakistan, meaning those heading to Europe and the United States, are operating.
Two gateways are currently open for Pakistanis: one via Turkey and the other via Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Umrah flights.
Those who want to travel abroad can go to Saudi Arabia first and then onward to Europe or the United States.
PIA’s flights to Canada and London are operating through alternative routes that bypass Iran, passing via Uzbekistan and other regions.
These flights avoid Afghan and Iranian airspace and are therefore considered safer. He added that all Middle East flights are currently suspended.
Pakistan international airlines (PIA)
Flights to the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait are still suspended. Flights to Saudi Arabia are operating but are using other routes to avoid conflict areas.
⚠️⛔️⚠️
— PIA (@Official_PIA) February 28, 2026
In view of the developing situation in the Middle East, #PIA is suspending its flights to #UAE 🇦🇪, #Bahrain🇧🇭, #Kuwait🇰🇼 and #Doha 🇶🇦 till tomorrow evening, or till opening of respective airspaces.
Flights to #KSA 🇸🇦 have been rerouted, avoiding conflict hit zones.…
Qatar airways: big update on flight operations
The Qatari carrier says its flights remain suspended due to the ongoing closure of the country’s airspace.
It said it will resume operations as soon as Qatari authorities declare a safe reopening of the airspace.
Update: Qatar Airways flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace.
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) March 4, 2026
Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A further update will be provided on 06…
Emirates: latest update on flight operations
Emirates has announced the latest update for passengers stranded across the country due to the ongoing strikes in the UAE after the Iran-US-Israel escalation.
Emirates stated that all scheduled flights to and from Dubai will remain suspended until 23:59 hours UAE time on 4 March due to ongoing airspace closures across the region.
All scheduled Emirates flights to and from Dubai remain suspended until 2359hrs UAE time on 7 March, due to airspace closures across the region.
— Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) March 4, 2026
Emirates continues to operate a limited flight schedule: https://t.co/yehFUeWZQq. We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings… pic.twitter.com/66WkOeri2S
Etihad airways
All normal commercial flights from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 2:00 pm UAE time on Thursday, March 5, 2026. Flight EY300 from Abu Dhabi to Islamabad was cancelled on March 4.
Saudi Arabian airlines
The airline is using longer routes with Boeing 777 aircraft to avoid restricted airspace. However, flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, Amman, and Peshawar are cancelled until 11:59 pm on March 4.
flydubai
The airline has started limited operations. Some flights from Pakistan have arrived, but others were cancelled or delayed on March 4. This includes flight FZ354 from Islamabad to Dubai.
Oman air
Flights to and from Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, Dammam, and Amman are cancelled from Wednesday, March 4, to Friday, March 6, 2026.
When will flights for Hajj 2026 begin?
Flights for Hajj 2026 will start on April 18, according to reports. The first flights will leave from Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot, and Multan.
Pilgrims will travel to Madinah first in phases. After their stay there, they will continue to Makkah.
Under the government Hajj scheme, a total of 468 flights will be operated to take pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
Hajj 2026: Will flights get cancelled?
If the Iran US Israel tensions continue, flights to and from Saudi Arabia could face delays or cancellations.
Governments might issue safety advisories. Additionally, higher fuel costs could make flights even more expensive.
