Lahore: Flight operations have been disrupted and diverted across Punjab due to dense smog, leading to the cancellation of 11 flights.
According to Jang, a total of 11 flights were cancelled, three flights were diverted to alternate airports, and 53 flights experienced delays.
The smog was so dense that flights were delayed and diverted. Flights from Karachi to Faisalabad, Lahore to Quetta, Jeddah to Lahore, Muscat to Sialkot and Islamabad to Gilgit were among those cancelled. Four flights from Islamabad to Gilgit were also cancelled.
In some cases flights were diverted to safer airports. like, flights from Jeddah to Lahore and Dammam to Sialkot were diverted to Islamabad and Lahore respectively. A flight from Doha to Multan was landed in Islamabad and later brought back to Multan when the smog cleared.
Many international flights were delayed, including Lahore to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Domestic flights from Karachi to Islamabad were also delayed and five from Karachi to Lahore.
The situation worsened at Lahore Airport, due to which 19 incoming and outgoing flights were delayed. Departures to Dubai and Abu Dhabi were also delayed by more than six hours, adding to passenger frustrations.
Authorities are monitoring weather conditions closely and have urged passengers to stay updated with flight schedules.
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