PIA Temporarily Suspends Flights to Riyadh

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has temporarily halted flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia due to the volatile security situation in the Middle East. This decision was announced by the airline's spokesperson on Friday. The escalation of conflict between Saudi forces and Yemen's Houthi militia, which has resulted in frequent drone and ballistic missile attacks on Riyadh and other Saudi airports, prompted the move.

PIA urged passengers to verify their flight status by contacting their call center prior to travel. The disruptions have also impacted Riyadh Airport, with a total of 104 flights canceled and an additional 154 delayed, according to Flightradar24. This figure rose to 335 cancellations on Thursday. Several other airlines, including Lufthansa Group and three Indian carriers, have also suspended their flights to Riyadh in response to the heightened tensions.

Lufthansa informed Reuters that their operations to the Saudi capital will be suspended until October 16 due to the ongoing developments in the Middle East. Indian airline IndiGo cancelled all flights to and from Riyadh until October 9, while Air India and Akasa Air announced similar suspensions until October 10.