Gwadar Airport suffered an abrupt shut down for a period of four days due to heavy rains, snowfall, and adverse weather conditions affecting various parts of the country. This has led to the cancellation of eight flights originating from Islamabad Airport.
Flight Operations Disruption
Due to the flood situation, flight operations at Gwadar Airport have been temporarily suspended. An official notice informed the airlines about the closure. The cancellation list includes flights PK 601, 602, 605, and 606 from Islamabad to Gilgit, as well as PK 451 and 452 from Islamabad to Skardu, and PK 325 and 326 from Islamabad to Quetta.
Additionally, PIA flight PK 168 was originally scheduled from Al Qasim to Islamabad. It took off from Lahore and later proceeded to Islamabad after the weather conditions improved.
Emergency Landings:
In another incident, Dubai-Lahore flight PK 264 had to make an emergency landing in Karachi. Subsequently, authorities transported passengers from Karachi to Lahore using an alternate aircraft. More than two dozen flights departing from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, and other airports experienced delays.
To address the situation, PIA introduced an additional aircraft from Jakarta to its fleet, facilitating the operation of four flights between Lahore and Karachi. An Airbus aircraft, acquired in December 2023, has been actively operating within the PIA fleet.
Impact of Intense Rainfall Across Pakistan
Intense rainfall from February 29 onward led to widespread flooding across Pakistan as of March 4. Calamities hit the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) the hardest. Authorities have officially reported a minimum of 37 fatalities nationwide, primarily attributed to the collapse of structures, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province recording 28 casualties.
Additionally, at least 50 individuals have sustained injuries. Particularly affected regions include the Swat Valley and Khyber District, where the impact has been severe, resulting in significant damage to over 150 houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
