Heavy fog disrupts PIA air operations

Several flights diverted and cancelled

ISLAMABAD:

The persisting fog in the upper regions of the country has thrown a wrench into the air operations of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), prompting changes to the flight schedule on Saturday.

As of 12 noon in Islamabad, visibility plummeted to less than 150 meters, a hazardous condition for Airbus 320 flights.In response to these challenging weather conditions, several arriving flights to Islamabad were redirected including PK-182 from Sharjah, PK-162 from Abu Dhabi, and PK-168 from Al Qasim, all rerouted to Lahore.

According to a PIA spokesperson, PK-451/452 bound for Skardu, PK-211/212 headed to Dubai, PK-233, and PK-308 destined for Karachi have also been cancelled.The Dubai to Lahore flight PK-236 also met a similar fate, while the Riyadh to Lahore flight PK-726 will be redirected to Karachi.

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To mitigate the inconvenience to affected passengers, the PIA management has implemented various measures. These include the provision of immediate information to passengers, offering alternative connections, and arranging hotel accommodations.With the weather showing little improvement, passengers are urged to stay connected with the PIA call centre for timely updates on their flights.

Emphasising the importance of aviation safety, PIA management reassured passengers that fog, being a weather phenomenon beyond their control, may cause delays or cancellations.Nevertheless, the airline prioritises passenger safety over punctuality, underscoring that such decisions are crucial to safeguard human lives, the spokesperson said in the statement.