Pakistan’s airspace fully open & safe for all civil traffic: PPA
2026-03-03 - 14:53
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has contradicted reports of any restrictions on commercial flights, saying “Pakistan’s airspace remains fully open and safe for all civil traffic”. “Some media and social media accounts are incorrectly claiming Pakistan’s airspace has been partially closed for commercial flights. It is inaccurate and misleading”, the PPA stated in a post shared on X (former Twitter) on Tuesday. Pakistan Airports Authority – Clarification on Recent NOTAM Some media & social media accounts (@shaheryarhassan @KazmiWajahat) are incorrectly claiming Pakistan's airspace has been "partially closed" for commercial flights. This is inaccurate and misleading. pic.twitter.com/b4QB547KTk — Pakistan Airports Authority (@Pk_PAA_Official) March 3, 2026 Terming NOTAM AO134/26 as a routine advisory, the PPA stated that it only announced the temporary unavailability of specific ATS roué segments in Karachi and Lahore due to operational reasons. “Pakistan’s airspace remains fully open & safe for all civil flights”, the PPA clarified. Alternative air routes are always available and routinely used for all affected traffic flows. “There are no restrictions on commercial operations, arrivals, departures, or overflights across Pakistan, the PPA stated, adding that ATC & airport teams are fully operational & managing traffic normally. The PAA urged media outlets and social media users to rely on official statements and avoid speculative or inaccurate news that could cause unnecessary concern among passengers and the public at large. Global air travel remained in severe disarray in the aftermath of retaliatory strikes by Iran that forced the closure of major airports in the Middle East, including Dubai International. Transit gateways such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, as well as Doha in Qatar, were either shut down or operating under heavy restrictions, with large sections of regional airspace closed. Martyrdom of Ali Khamenei: Nine dead, 18 injured in clashes outside US Consulate in Karachi