ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has dismissed media reports suggesting an eight-day closure of Islamabad International Airport, clarifying the actual schedule for temporary shutdowns ahead of Independence Day on August 14.
PAA spokesperson Saifullah Khan said flight arrivals and departures will only be halted for two-hour intervals on specific dates and times, as outlined in official Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs).
From August 6 to 9 and August 11 to 14, operations will pause daily from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time (PST). On August 9 and 11, there will be an additional closure from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Islamabad airport to shut for flights ahead of Independence Day
The authority stressed that regular flight operations will continue outside these brief suspensions. Passengers have been advised to verify flight timings with their respective airlines.
This clarification comes after major disruptions during the recent four-day Pakistan-India conflict, which left hundreds of travellers stranded at airports in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, and Sialkot.
The Ministry of Defence told the National Assembly on Friday that the PAA suffered losses of Rs4.1 billion between April 24 and June 30 due to those closures.
Read more: Gilgit: Seven volunteers killed as landslide hits Daniyor Nullah
Separately, the PAA announced a daily runway shutdown at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport to tackle increased bird activity. The closure will run from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. each day from July 1 to September Read 15.
It merits mentioning that during the four-day conflict between Pakistan and India, flight disruptions left hundreds of passengers stranded at the country’s major airports, including Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and Sialkot airports.
