Pak-India escalation: Helpline established to facilitate Hajj pilgrims amid flight disruptions
Pakistan
The schedule of 13 Hajj flights was affected between May 7 and May 9
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Ministry of Religious Affairs established a helpline to facilitate the Hajj pilgrims amid the disruption of flight schedule due to the ongoing Pak-India tensions.
According to the spokesperson, the schedule of 13 Hajj flights was affected between May 7 and May 9. Of these, 4 flights were cancelled while 9 were delayed.
The Saudi Airlines had to cancel two Hajj flights each from Islamabad and Lahore.
Delays were reported for three flights from Lahore, two each from Islamabad and Quetta, and one each from Multan and Karachi.
The temporary suspension of flight operations impacted the travel schedules of 3,080 pilgrims. However, most flights resumed after a few hours of delay, allowing pilgrims to depart.
Also Read: Flights resume as Karachi airspace restored
The spokesperson further stated that 345 pilgrims who were left behind due to flight cancellations have now departed from Islamabad on a special PIA flight. An additional 540 pilgrims will be transported through special flights from Islamabad and Lahore.
To ensure timely and accurate information regarding Hajj flight schedules, the Ministry has launched a helpline at 051-9216980. Pilgrims can call this number to get the latest updates on their flight timings and departures.
Earlier, it was reported that 450 domestic and international flights have been affected over the past 48 hours due to escalating tensions between Pakistan and India.
According to sources, over 1,000 flights that typically use regional airspace have been unable to enter Pakistani territory from the Indian side in recent days, disrupting air traffic across the region.
Despite the strained situation, Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority has kept certain air routes operational from major airports including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and Sialkot.
