PIA Suspends Flights to Gulf Amid Regional Tensions

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced a temporary suspension of its scheduled flights to various Gulf countries. This decision follows the recent escalation of military activity in the region, prompted by Iran’s retaliatory measures against a U.S. base in Qatar, according to a spokesperson on Monday.

The national carrier has halted flight operations to Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Dubai until further notice.

This action comes as several Gulf nations heighten their alert levels in response to Iran’s missile strikes targeting the U.S. military installation in Qatar. The strikes were a reaction to earlier American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“Flights will be restored once the situation stabilizes,” the PIA statement declared. The spokesperson has advised passengers with scheduled flights to remain informed about their flight statuses by contacting the PIA call center.

The airline’s reservation teams have begun re-accommodating passengers on alternative flights to minimize disruption.

Prior to the Iranian response, Qatari authorities announced a temporary closure of their airspace. This followed advisories from U.S. and British officials to their citizens within Qatar, recommending they seek shelter until further updates.

Qatar is host to Al Udeid Air Base, the most extensive U.S. base in the Middle East, serving as the central command’s forward headquarters and housing approximately 10,000 personnel.

The Gulf region hosts multiple U.S. military installations.

Bahrain also briefly closed its airspace in the aftermath of the Iranian action in Qatar.

Bahrain is the location of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters, which oversees operations in the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and sections of the Indian Ocean.

Simultaneously, Kuwait implemented a temporary airspace closure until further notice due to increasing regional tensions.

Kuwait Airways also announced a suspension of flight departures from the nation in light of recent regional events, as communicated via a post on X.

Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, has indicated it will reroute numerous flights on June 23 and June 24 in response to airspace limitations across sections of the Middle East.

Earlier today, the Iranian National Security Council acknowledged its forces had engaged a significant U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday, as retaliation for American strikes against its nuclear sites, affirming that its response did not “pose a threat” to Qatar.

“As a response to the U.S.’s aggressive actions directed at Iran’s nuclear sites, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran targeted the U.S. air base in Al-Udeid, Qatar,” the council stated.

The statement noted that the quantity of missiles deployed “mirrored the number of bombs the U.S. used in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.”

“This measure presents no threat to our allied nation of Qatar,” it was conveyed.

In response, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, labeled the Iranian strike on Al-Udeid base a “violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace and the UN charter,” as stated by Al Jazeera.

“The State of Qatar reserves its right to respond directly to this clear aggression in accordance with international law,” al-Ansari asserted.

He added that Qatari air defense systems intercepted the attack and effectively countered the Iranian missiles.