Pakistan’s international aviation sector experienced a sharp slowdown in the opening days of March, with outbound flight volumes falling significantly as regional tensions disrupted key travel routes.
According to data from Gallup Pakistan Digital Analytics, the number of international departures dropped from 1,127 flights during February 1-10 to 572 flights in the period between March 1 and 10, 2026. The figures show a decline of nearly half in just one month.
The drop has largely been linked to airspace complications caused by rising instability in the region following the Iran conflict. Restrictions over Iranian territory and parts of the Gulf forced airlines to revise operations, leading to cancellations, route diversions and fewer scheduled flights from Pakistan.
Because Pakistan depends heavily on Middle Eastern transit corridors for international connectivity, disruptions in the region tend to affect outbound traffic almost immediately. The latest figures highlight how quickly external developments can ripple through the country’s aviation network.
The data also indicates a change in passenger demand. In early February, flights were more evenly spread across Gulf destinations including Dubai and Jeddah. By early March, a larger share of traffic was directed towards Saudi cities such as Jeddah and Riyadh, suggesting that essential and religious travel continued while non-essential travel dropped.
The comparison is based on outbound international departure data for February 1-10 and March 1-10, 2026, published through the Gallup Pakistan Digital Analytics Aviation Dashboard.
Stay Connected with ProPakistani
Get the latest news and stories wherever you prefer.
Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.
