The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has severely disrupted air travel and cargo operations, with more than 4,300 flights cancelled across eight countries over the past five days.
From emergency evacuations at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah airports to mass cancellations of flights from Pakistan, the crisis has left travelers stranded and airports struggling to handle cargo.
Air shipments of fruits, vegetables, meat, and other goods have piled up across major Pakistani airports, while companies charge double rates for limited international cargo still moving to the US, Canada, and Europe.
From Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah airports, 167 flights were operated for emergency evacuations. Meanwhile, according to flight schedules, 145 flights from Pakistan to the Middle East have been cancelled.
The breakdown of cancellations from Pakistan is as follows: 35 flights each from Karachi and Islamabad, 29 from Lahore, 14 from Peshawar, 12 each from Sialkot and Multan, 6 from Faisalabad, and 4 from Quetta, bringing the total number of cancelled flights to 145.
Moreover, the Iran-US conflict has led to a suspension of air operations, causing hundreds of flights to be cancelled. With cargo services halted, airports across Pakistan are now crowded with warehouses filled with fruits, vegetables, meat, and other goods.
According to customs clearing agents, Lahore Airport normally handles 200–300 tons of air cargo daily. However, with air cargo suspended from Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, and Sialkot, no shipments have been sent or received in the past five days.
