Heavy Rain Forces 18 Cancellations and 67 Delays on Dubai-Pakistan Routes

Severe weather, characterized by heavy rainfall and dense fog, severely disrupted commercial flight operations connecting Dubai and Sharjah with multiple Pakistani cities. The adverse conditions resulted in the cancellation of 18 scheduled international flights and caused delays for 67 additional services across the nation, creating significant congestion and passenger inconvenience throughout the day.

The 18 cancelled services included key international connections across several hubs. Specifically, two foreign airline flights between Dubai and Karachi were grounded, alongside two Faisalabad-Dubai services. Further disruptions were noted at Lahore, which saw three Dubai-bound flights cancelled, while six flights originating from Peshawar and two from Islamabad bound for Dubai were also suspended due to the operational difficulties caused by the heavy precipitation.

Flight delays were widespread across Pakistan’s major hubs. Islamabad reported the highest impact, with 21 arrivals and departures affected, followed by Lahore, which experienced disruptions to 16 flights, and Karachi, facing delays to 12 flights. Furthermore, dense fog exacerbated travel conditions at secondary airports, delaying eight flights at Multan and impacting operations at Sialkot, Skardu, Quetta, and Peshawar. These widespread cancellations and delays highlighted the vulnerability of regional flight schedules during periods of extreme weather, straining airport management and airline coordination efforts.