Flight operations at Jinnah International Airport were restored on Thursday night, according to a statement from the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) spokesperson.
The spokesperson confirmed that all other “major airports across the country remain fully operational” and available for flight services.
Flight tracking website, FlightRadar24, also showed flights operating from Lahore and Multan airports.
Earlier in the day, flight operations at Karachi airport were temporarily suspended starting from 12 pm. No further details were provided regarding the cause of the suspension or the duration of the disruption. The PAA had also issued a new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) announcing that Lahore’s airspace was closed once again. Additionally, new instructions were also issued for Gilgit and Skardu airports.
Both airports were advised by the PAA to coordinate with air traffic control before the operations of flights. Without clearance, flights will be banned at Skardu and Gilgit airports, the PAA said.
The PAA earlier suspended flight operations at Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Sialkot airports, amid the current tension between Pakistan and India. The authority first announced the closure of the airports till 12 pm today, then the period of closure was extended till 6 pm. According to the PAA, flight operations were temporarily suspended due to “operational reasons”. The authority took the decision amid heightened threats of India’s forces trespassing in the Pakistani airspace.
Furthermore, several, mostly Asian airlines, announced that they were cancelling and rerouting some flights following Indian strikes into Pakistan’s territory. Images from flight tracking websites after the attack showed a long line of airlines passing over Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait, raising the possibility of airspace congestion.
Pakistani authorities said 57 international flights were operating in Pakistan’s airspace when India struck. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said in a statement that India’s action “caused grave danger to commercial airlines” belonging to Gulf countries and “endangered lives.” On Wednesday night, the PAA confirmed that all the airports were functioning normally across the country after the national airspace was closed for a few hours.
