Islamabad airport resumes flights after temporary suspension: PAA

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad International Airport resumed normal flight operations on Friday after a temporary suspension due to “operational reasons”, aviation and security officials said.

The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) earlier in the day, saying flight operations were halted for operational reasons after a brief closure.

The temporary suspension lasted for a brief time before flights were allowed to operate as scheduled. 

“The airport is now operational, and all flights are running according to schedule,” a PAA spokesperson said, advising passengers to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight information.

Security sources claimed that a suspicious drone was neutralised by authorities after being brought down in the airspace of the federal capital. The drone was believed to be locally operated, though there was speculation it may have come from across the Afghan border, the sources added.

The brief airspace closure disrupted some flights at Islamabad and campus airports, but officials said normal operations were restored once the area was declared clear and safe for aircraft movements.

Pakistan’s airspace has earlier been described as fully open for civil aviation, with authorities issuing routine advisories for select routes in the Karachi and Lahore flight information regions for operational reasons without affecting the overall availability of air traffic services.

Passengers were urged to check with airlines for updated flight timings as services returned to regular schedules following the incident.