UAE, Turkey Suspend Pakistan Flights as India-Pakistan Conflict Intensifies
The suspension of air travel follows India’s missile strikes on targets within Pakistan earlier this week, including an Islamic seminary near Bahawalpur and a mosque in Muzaffarabad, which left at least 43 people dead.
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - As military hostilities between India and Pakistan escalate to their most dangerous level in two decades, major airlines from the United Arab Emirates and Turkey announced on Thursday the suspension of flights to Pakistan, citing safety concerns and regional instability.
Emirates Airlines confirmed the immediate cancellation of 10 scheduled flights to Pakistan, effective through May 10, 2025, due to the closure of Pakistani airspace following recent cross-border confrontations with India.
In a statement, the UAE-based carrier emphasized that it is closely monitoring the evolving situation and that passenger and crew safety remains the airline’s top priority. Flights to Sialkot, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar have been suspended, while operations to Karachi continue uninterrupted.
Emirates also urged passengers to refrain from traveling to Pakistan during this period, citing unpredictable developments that may further impact flight operations.
Turkish Airlines Follows Suit, Halts Flights to Islamabad and Lahore
On the same day, Turkish Airlines announced the suspension of its flights to Islamabad and Lahore scheduled for May 8 and 9, attributing the decision to the deteriorating security conditions between India and Pakistan.
Previously, Qatar Airways had also suspended flights to Pakistani destinations in response to heightened tensions, reflecting growing international apprehension about airspace safety in South Asia.
Rising Casualties, Rising Fears
The suspension of air travel follows India’s missile strikes on targets within Pakistan earlier this week, including an Islamic seminary near Bahawalpur and a mosque in Muzaffarabad, which left at least 43 people dead — 31 Pakistani civilians and 12 Indians.
The Indian strikes were reportedly in retaliation for a deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, where 26 Indian tourists were killed. New Delhi blames the attack on the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, which Islamabad denies harboring.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of exploiting the crisis for domestic political gain, while pledging that Islamabad would settle the score.
Humanitarian and Global Alarm
The rising civilian toll, including children among the dead, has deepened fears of further escalation. Pakistan’s military claims five Indian fighter jets were downed in retaliatory operations, while India confirms three of its aircraft crashed inside its own territory.
In Muzaffarabad, residents described a night of terror as homes were destroyed and religious sites damaged. UN observers have since visited the affected mosque, underscoring the severity of the humanitarian fallout.
Uncertain Skies
As aviation routes close and diplomatic options dwindle, the suspension of commercial flights underscores the widening fallout of the Indo-Pak conflict, both regionally and globally. With tensions flaring along the Line of Control and diplomatic rhetoric hardening, observers warn that the situation may soon surpass the severity of the 2019 Pulwama crisis.
The temporary grounding of flights, while precautionary, is emblematic of a broader fear — that the confrontation, if left unchecked, may spiral beyond control, impacting millions across the subcontinent and beyond.
