At least 116 flights from airports across Pakistan to the Middle East were cancelled on Tuesday, affecting thousands of passengers as regional airspace closures triggered widespread disruption.

The cancellations followed rising tensions between Iran and the United States and the resulting uncertainty in the Middle East.

Several countries in the region temporarily closed their airspace, forcing airlines to suspend or reroute services.

According to sources, 32 flights were cancelled at Jinnah International Airport, 28 at Islamabad International Airport, and 20 at Allama Iqbal International Airport.

At Peshawar International Airport, 16 flights to Dubai, Sharjah, Qatar and Abu Dhabi were called off. Ten flights were cancelled at Multan Airport, four at Faisalabad Airport and two at Quetta Airport.

Sources said more than 500 Middle East-bound flights have been cancelled over the past four days. Airlines cited airspace restrictions in multiple countries as the primary reason.

The cancellations have caused severe inconvenience to passengers.

PAA denies reports of partial airspace closure

The Pakistan Airports Authority rejected reports circulating on social media about a partial closure of Pakistan’s airspace.

A PAA spokesperson said the country’s airspace remains fully safe and available for all commercial operations.

The authority clarified that NOTAM A0134/26 does not indicate any closure but refers to the temporary unavailability of specific routes.

Gulf closures hit aviation network

Meanwhile, escalating tensions between Iran and Israel prompted several Gulf states to temporarily shut their airspace, disrupting major aviation hubs including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Reports said more than 3,400 flights have been cancelled or rerouted so far, increasing operational pressure at key airports. Over 200 flights from Pakistan to Gulf countries have also been affected.

Aviation experts estimate daily losses to the global aviation network at around $350 million to $500 million, equivalent to roughly AED2 to AED4 billion.

Losses stem from crew costs, passenger accommodation and rebooking expenses, as well as cargo delays.