Pakistan's national carrier on Friday temporarily suspended its flight operations to Riyadh, amid escalating tensions in the region and attacks on the airports in Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthis.
The flight operations to Saudi Arabia were completely disrupted on Friday, with dozens of flights cancelled and delayed, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at major airports in Pakistan.
A Pakistan International Airlines spokesperson said the airline has temporarily suspended its flight operations to Riyadh. He asked passengers to check the status of their flights before leaving for the airport.
An aviation official told PTI that over 100 flights arriving at or departing from Riyadh airport were cancelled and 154 were delayed on Friday. He said some 335 flights were cancelled on Thursday.
"Umrah pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia are among the worst affected by the disruption, as several flights to the kingdom were cancelled," he said, adding that some flights were cancelled due to security-related reasons at various airports in Saudi Arabia.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, reiterating Pakistan's commitment to the Gulf state’s “sovereignty, territorial integrity and security” under the Makkah Defence Alliance.