PIA suspends Riyadh flights amid rising tensions

Summary Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has temporarily suspended its flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East. The suspension comes as Saudi Arabia faces escalating attacks by Yemen's Houthi militia, with airports in Riyadh and other parts of the kingdom reportedly targeted by drones and ballistic missiles. IndiGo cancelled its services to and from the Saudi capital until October 9, while Air India and Akasa Air suspended their Riyadh operations until October 10. AI Generated Summary Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has temporarily suspended its flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East. A PIA spokesperson confirmed the decision on Friday, advising passengers to contact the airline's call centre to verify their flight status before heading to the airport. The suspension comes as Saudi Arabia faces escalating attacks by Yemen's Houthi militia, with airports in Riyadh and other parts of the kingdom reportedly targeted by drones and ballistic missiles. Flight disruptions have also affected operations at Riyadh airport. According to Flightradar24, 104 flights scheduled to arrive or depart were cancelled on Friday, while another 154 faced delays. The airport recorded 335 cancellations on Thursday. PIA is not the only airline to suspend services to the Saudi capital. Lufthansa Group and several Indian airlines have also announced temporary cancellations amid growing security concerns. Lufthansa said its airlines would suspend flights to Riyadh until October 16, citing developments in the region. IndiGo cancelled its services to and from the Saudi capital until October 9, while Air India and Akasa Air suspended their Riyadh operations until October 10. The latest disruptions follow attacks on two Saudi international airports on Wednesday, which killed three people. A Pakistani citizen was among those injured in the incident at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, alongside five Saudi nationals and two Egyptian citizens. Riyadh airport was reportedly targeted again on Thursday, with an aircraft sustaining severe damage. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia on Friday and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to protecting the kingdom's sovereignty, territorial integrity and security under the Makkah Defence Alliance. The defence agreement, signed on August 7, also involves Türkiye and aims to strengthen cooperation among its members. Under the pact, an attack on one signatory may be treated as an attack on all. Pakistan and Türkiye also agreed on Monday to facilitate the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia. PIA's latest decision comes after the airline suspended flights to several Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, on March 1 following the outbreak of the US-Iran war. At that time, the airline had maintained its services to Saudi Arabia.