By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Flydubai has suspended all flight operations to and from Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar until Oct. 26, citing operational reasons, according to the airline’s customer inquiry service in Pakistan.
Services to and from Karachi will continue without interruption, the Dubai-based low-cost carrier confirmed. The suspensions affect flydubai’s only routes linking those three cities to its Dubai hub. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 show that the twice-daily rotations — FZ353/354 between Islamabad and Dubai, FZ359/360 between Lahore and Dubai, and FZ375/376 between Peshawar and Dubai — have been canceled since at least May 7.
Flydubai began flying to Islamabad and Lahore in July 2024 and added Peshawar in May of last year as it expanded its footprint in Pakistan. A notice posted on the airline’s website since March 31 states that flydubai “is currently operating flights across its network with a reduced schedule.” The statement, issued days after the US-Iran war erupted on March 28 with American and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, tells passengers to check flight status and operational updates before heading to the airport.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation and update our flight schedule accordingly,” the notice reads. “The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority.” The statement makes no explicit reference to the conflict. It does, however, come against the backdrop of a sharp rise in jet-fuel prices that has plunged global air travel into its worst crisis in years.
The surge in fuel costs stems directly from the US-Iran war, which has disrupted supply chains and sent crude and refined-product prices higher. Late last month the International Air Transport Association warned that the resulting jet-fuel squeeze could hit Asia hardest and first. “I think we will see airlines starting to reduce some of their schedules as we go towards the peak summer period in anticipation of some fuel shortages,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh said.
Flydubai’s decision to pull out of three Pakistani cities for more than five months is one of the more decisive schedule cuts by a major Middle Eastern carrier since the conflict began. The airline has not disclosed the precise operational factors behind the move, but the timing aligns with the broader industry response to elevated fuel costs and uncertainty over supply.
Passengers holding tickets for the affected routes have been advised to contact flydubai directly or monitor the airline’s website for rebooking options and any further updates.
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