PIA suspends flights to Riyadh amid Middle East situation

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has temporarily suspended its flight operations to Riyadh in view of the situation in the Middle East, the airline’s spokesperson said on Friday.

The airline advised passengers to contact its call centre at 111-786-786 to confirm the latest status of their flights before leaving for the airport.

PIA apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers due to the suspension.

The development comes a day after Yemen’s Houthis escalated their campaign of strikes against Saudi Arabia, trying to shut down the kingdom’s airspace and oil facilities with missile fire that has killed three people this week.

The group said it had struck Riyadh airport, where witnesses saw smoke billowing from a plane, and it warned workers to stay away from energy plants. Saudi officials said debris from an intercepted missile had hit a kindergarten and medical complex.

Lufthansa and Air India have also suspended flights to Riyadh after Houthi attacks.

The Houthis say they are targeting the kingdom over its support for government forces in Yemen’s reignited civil war. Saudi Arabia says it is backing an offensive by Yemen’s UN-recognised government to take back territory from the Houthis.

The conflict, now an overspill of the US-Iran war, has added new chaos to a region already aflame, and threatens to draw other states into gruelling mountain fighting — with Syria now considering deploying troops to assist Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom has pushed for support from allied nations, including Pakistan and Turkiye, even if only in a logistical or defensive capacity, as it tries to reverse Houthi gains in southwest Yemen, by the southern entrance to the Red Sea.