PIA suspends Dubai, Sharjah flights as UAE hit by rains again

National carrier says operations to resume as soon as situation improves

KARACHI:

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday said that its flights as well as those of other domestic air passenger carriers to Dubai and Sharjah would remain suspended for the time being because of another spell of torrential rains in the United Arab Emirates.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the national flag carrier said the flight operations for Dubai and Sharjah were badly affected because of the severe weather conditions.

The spokesperson added that some flights of the PIA were facing delays and cancellations because of the inclement weather in the UAE.

“The PIA is very conscious of the inconvenience faced by its passengers,” the spokesperson said.

“As soon as the situation improves, the PIA will start its air operations [to the UAE] immediately.”

Read more: Schools, offices shut as heavy rain returns to desert UAE

The spokesperson asked the affected passengers to contact the PIA’s call centre at 786786111 for their flight information.

Schools and many offices were closed across the UAE as heavy rains returned just two weeks after record downpours that experts linked to climate change.

A lightning storm with high winds swept across the oil-rich monarchy overnight, with more than 50 millimetres of rain falling before 8am in some areas, the National Centre of Meteorology said.

Flooding was seen in some parts of Dubai and the city’s airport.

The airport, the world’s busiest in terms of international passenger traffic, cancelled 13 flights and diverted five, a spokesperson said.

(With input from AFP)