Heavy rain disrupts flight operations at Karachi airport

KARACHI: Flight operations at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport were severely disrupted on Wednesday following heavy rainfall in the city, causing significant delays and cancellations of both domestic and international flights.

Reports said multiple domestic flights scheduled to operate from Jinnah Terminal were cancelled, including key routes of the national carrier between Karachi and Islamabad. Several other flights experienced prolonged delays.

International flight operations were also affected. A private airline’s flight from Karachi to Jeddah was delayed by over seven hours, prompting frustration and protests from passengers — many of whom were Umrah pilgrims.

Due to the rainfall, only a limited number of passengers were able to reach the airport. The downpour also affected staffing, with a large portion of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and airline personnel unable to report for duty.

Adding to passenger woes, the airport’s flight inquiry phone lines remained non-functional, leaving many travelers without real-time updates on their flights.

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