Cathay Pacific cancels Karachi flights after Taliban attack

Published June 11, 2014
Pakistan rangers take position after the firing incident near Karachi airport in Karachi on June 10, 2014. — Photo by AFP
Pakistan rangers take position after the firing incident near Karachi airport in Karachi on June 10, 2014. — Photo by AFP

HONG KONG: Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd has cancelled some flights to Karachi from Bangkok, the airline said on its website on Wednesday.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely,” the company said in its statement. “Customers are recommended to check flight status before departing for the airport.”

The cancellations came after Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for an attack on a security academy at Karachi's airport on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after an all-night siege by Taliban gunmen at the country's busiest airport.

Cathay Pacific shares were down 0.28 per cent in mid-afternoon trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

An audacious gun-and-explosive attack by heavily armed militants on the country’s busiest airport had left at least 30 dead.

A day after the five-hour long destructive battle, the Airport Security Force (ASF) camp number 2, had also come under a fresh assault. The flight operations were resumed after being temporarily suspended, and routes leading to the airport were cleared for traffic, the Civil Aviation Authority had announced.

Earlier today, the Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen cancelled his visit to Pakistan for an indefinite period.

According to the Foreign Office source, the embassy of Maldives had not replied officially but hinted that the attack at the airport was the reason for cancellation.

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