Has PIA suspended flights to Riyadh amid rising regional tensions?

KARACHI – Reports circulating on social media claim that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has suspended flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, amid escalating regional tensions following attacks by Houthi forces.

A journalist has claimed that a PIA spokesperson confirmed the suspension. However, the development has yet to be independently verified.

Pakistan’s national airline PIA has temporarily suspended operations for Riyadh owing to the current situation, informs @Official_PIA spox in a statement.

— Anas Mallick (@AnasMallick) October 9, 2026

Meanwhile, flight operations across Pakistan have been disrupted amid rising tensions in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, with 42 flights cancelled and 68 others delayed by two to seven hours, according to airport sources.

The disruptions have caused difficulties for thousands of passengers, including Umrah pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia.

Airport sources said several flights to Saudi Arabia were cancelled due to security concerns, while multiple flights at airports in different parts of the kingdom were also affected.

According to the figures, Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport recorded 13 flight cancellations, while another 12 flights were delayed.

At Karachi Airport, 10 flights were cancelled and 13 experienced delays. Islamabad Airport reported nine cancellations and eight delayed flights, while seven flights were cancelled at Multan Airport.

The widespread disruptions have left thousands of travellers facing extended waiting times and uncertainty over their travel arrangements.

Umrah pilgrims have also been among those affected by the cancellations of Saudi Arabia-bound flights, airport sources said.