Torrential rain in Islamabad and Rawalpindi caused major disruptions at Islamabad International Airport, resulting in numerous flight delays and cancellations.
According to airport officials, British Airways flight BK2160 was delayed by three hours, while a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) service to Dubai was postponed by an hour. A private carrier’s flight to Karachi was also delayed by two hours. Other flights bound for Jeddah, Doha, Dubai, Muscat, Riyadh, and Baku experienced delays of up to an hour.
The airport’s official flight inquiry portal reported that six flights to and from Islamabad were cancelled. The Islamabad-Skardu route was particularly affected, with PIA’s PK-451 and PK-452, as well as AirSial’s PF-121 from Karachi, being called off.
Persistent rain and low visibility led to the suspension of all flights to Skardu for the day.
In total, more than 15 domestic and international flights faced significant delays, some lasting several hours.
PIA’s PK751 to Jeddah was delayed by two hours, while Serene Air’s AR-810 to Jeddah, scheduled for 8:00 am, was held up for over 12 hours because the inbound aircraft from Jeddah could not arrive. AirSial’s PF-746 to Dammam was delayed by more than seven hours, now expected to depart at 3:00 pm.
FlyDubai’s flight from Dubai was set to land in Islamabad seven hours behind schedule. Fly Jinnah’s service from Riyadh was delayed by over six hours, and Serene Air’s flight from Jeddah was unable to depart due to the weather.
PIA’s PK-144 from Al Ain was delayed by five hours, while AirSial’s Riyadh flight was unable to take off after being denied clearance, now expected to arrive at 2:00 pm. PIA’s PK-300, operating between Karachi and Islamabad, was also delayed by two hours.