PIA suspends flights to UAE’s Fujairah for 2 days in view of ‘security situation’

In a statement, the carrier’s spokesperson said that for the time being, PIA flights to the UAE will only be operated to Al Ain.

The decision comes amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, which began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran and the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

As its leadership continues to be targeted by the US and Israel, Iran has kept up retaliatory strikes targeting US assets and bases in Gulf countries, disrupting air travel as airlines periodically cancel flights.

Indian airline Air Indigo has also suspended operations to Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain and Dammam until March 28.

A day earlier, the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority announced the “temporary and full closure” of the country’s airspace, according to Al Jazeera.

The temporary precautionary measures were lifted later in the day, the UAE’s state news agency WAM reported.

The development also comes in the wake of an attack on a Kuwait-flagged tanker ​23 nautical miles east ‌of Fujairah, according to the United Kingdom ​Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

On March 14, the Fujairah port, a major global hub for refuelling ships as well as crude and fuel exports, came under attack.

The port is located on the Gulf of Oman, approximately 70 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively closed due to the Iran war, increasing the importance of Fujairah’s flows to the global market during the current conflict.

Fujairah exported more than 1.7 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined fuels on average last year, according to Kpler data, a volume equal to about 1.7 per cent of daily world demand.