ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national flag carrier said on Saturday it has cancelled all flights to the Syrian capital, Damascus, after Israeli air attacks damaged its main airport.
Since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes against its neighbor, but rarely have such attacks caused major flight disruptions.
Syrian authorities have confirmed major damage including to runways at Damascus International Airport after Israeli air strikes on Friday. The transport ministry said in a statement that runways were out of service.
“PIA flight PK135 with 170 passengers was scheduled to depart tomorrow (Sunday) morning. The return flight PK136 from Damascus was to bring 169 passengers as well. However, the flights were canceled due to the runway being completely non-operational," Pakistan International Airlines said in statement.
“The operation was completely suspended due to the bombardment by the Israeli forces on Damascus airport yesterday."
Hundreds of Pakistanis visit Syria for pilgrimage every year. PIA started direct weekly flights between Karachi and Damascus in the last week of May.
The PIA said the cancelled flights would be rescheduled when the Damascus airport is repaired, while stranded passengers would return home through alternative routes.
