ISLAMABAD – Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced changes to its flight routes for destinations in the Gulf and Europe due to rising regional tensions following recent Israeli airstrikes in Iran.
According to a PIA spokesperson, all flights bound for Saudi Arabia, Qatar (Doha), Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates will now use Omani airspace instead of previous routes.
The airline has taken this decision as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.
In addition to Gulf-bound flights, routes for flights to Toronto and Paris have also been adjusted in light of evolving airspace restrictions and security considerations in the region.
“The safety of our passengers is our top priority. We are closely monitoring the situation and have taken all necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted and secure operations,” the PIA spokesperson said.
The route changes come after heightened military activity and airspace concerns across parts of the Middle East.
Earlier in the day, Israel launched strikes against Iran, targeting its nuclear facilities, ballistic missile sites and military commanders, on Friday.
Several top Iranian military and nuclear officials were killed in what is being described at one of the most significant escalation between the two countries to date.
The victims include:
Hossein Salami, IRGC commander-in-chief
Gholamali Rashid, a senior Iranian military commander
Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Iran’s armed forces
Fereydoon Abbasi, nuclear scientist and former head Iran’s atomic energy agency
Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, a nuclear scientist involved in Iran’s nuclear weapons programme
Abdolhamid Minouchehr, a nuclear scientist
Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, a nuclear scientist
Amirhossein Feqhi, a nuclear scientist
Motalleblizadeh, another nuclear scientist
According to The New York Times, Israel targeted at least six military bases around Tehran, including the sensitive Parchin facility.
Iranian media reported that explosions were heard at the country’s main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, while Israel has declared a state of emergency taking anticipatory measures against retaliatory military action by Iran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who remained safe in the attack, said in a statement that Israel had “unleashed its wicked and bloody” hand in a crime against Iran and vowed to give a befitting response to it.
