6 hours ago
Last Updated:May 08, 2025, 20:38 IST
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), Lahore and Sialkot airports will remain shut for all flight activity until 12 noon on Thursday
Both domestic and international services have been disrupted, and passengers are being advised to check with airlines for updated schedules. (Representative image / PTI)
The Pakistan Airports Authority has issued a new NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), announcing that Karachi Airport will remain closed for all flight operations until midnight.
Hours after India carried out Operation Sindoor, flight operations across Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot were temporarily suspended by Pakistan on Thursday, May 8.
Operation Sindoor — a series of coordinated precision strikes targeting nine major terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The fallout has disrupted both domestic and international air traffic across the region.
According to Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), Lahore and Sialkot airports will remain shut for all flight activity until 12 noon on Thursday (local time), as per Pakistan’s Aaj News. Both domestic and international services have been disrupted, and passengers are being advised to check with airlines for updated schedules.
Indian Strikes Trigger Airspace Lockdown
The sudden suspension of flights came in response to India’s military action under Operation Sindoor, launched early Wednesday between 1:05 am and 1:30 am, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 civilians dead.
At a press briefing on Wednesday in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh outlined the scale and strategy behind the strikes, which were jointly executed by the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
9 Terror Camps Destroyed, No Civilian Harm: India
Of the nine terror camps destroyed, four were located deep inside Pakistan — in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sarjal, and Mehmoona Joya — while the remaining were in PoK. The facilities were reportedly used by terror groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Colonel Qureshi confirmed that the Sarjal camp in Sialkot, just 6 km inside Pakistan, was a key target. It had served as a training ground for terrorists involved in the March 2025 killing of four Jammu & Kashmir policemen.
She also identified the Markaz Subhanallah compound in Bahawalpur — considered the headquarters of JeM — as another destroyed target.
Wing Commander Singh added, “Operation Sindoor was launched to deliver justice to the victims of Pahalgam. Despite the scale of the strikes, no military installations were hit."
Pakistan Flags “Aviation Risk," Reaches Out to ICAO
As per PTI, Pakistan has formally raised concerns with the Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), accusing India of endangering civil aviation safety through what it called “reckless and provocative actions".
Regional Fallout and Global Reactions
The situation marks one of the most serious military escalations between the nuclear-armed neighbours since the 2019 Balakot strikes. Global powers, including the UN, US, China, and Russia, have urged restraint, warning that continued hostilities could destabilise the region further.
Location : First Published:News world Karachi Airport To Remain Closed For Flight Operations Until Midnight
