Saudi Airlines suspend Peshawar flight operations

Zahir Shah Sherazi Published June 28, 2014

PESHAWAR: Saudi Arabian Airlines has suspended its operations to and from Peshawar on Saturday following an attack on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) boeing 756 which had left a woman dead and two crew members injured.

The Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that Saudi Airlines has stopped its operations from Peshawar Airport.

A Riyadh bound Saudi Airlines flight was diverted from Peshawar and 330 passengers were shifted to Islamabad.

Earlier Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates airlines had also suspended their operations and diverted all flights to Islamabad.

Flight suspensions have not only affected passengers but also labourers, drivers and other supporting staff working at the airport.

On June 25, the Emirates airline had officially suspended its flight operations to and from Peshawar in the wake of the vicious attack on the city's Bacha Khan International Airport.

Due to its geographical location, security at the Peshawar airport is always tricky as the landing route starts from the tribal areas of Bara and Darra Adamkhel which are fragile for security.

Peshawar Airport is surrounded by residential areas, including the slums of Nawai Kalley, Badbher and the rural-urban mix population of Ring Road villages on one side.

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Syed

Jun 28, 2014 11:25am

Next will be Karachi and lahore and very soon no one wants to come here.

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Jun 28, 2014 11:44am

Awesome ! Tell saad Rafiq to built up long railway tracks lol I can guarantee Saad Rafiq have never gone to Cantt

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Ahmed

Jun 28, 2014 11:44am

Solution: immediately create new air strips...far away from residential areas...all over Pakistan...and ferry pessangers to the nearest city...

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Saad Zafar

Jun 28, 2014 11:49am

Peshawar Airport soon to be degraded to Local Domestic Airport status.

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N K Ali

Jun 28, 2014 12:02pm

We have only ourselves to blame for the continuing dramae bazee that Pakistan is turning into. There is never a serious moment of nation building and only contrite and homiletic LIP SERVICE. First, it was Emirates followed by Etihad, and now Saudia. Well done Pakistan. You are headed in the right direction. Salams

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Jun 28, 2014 12:03pm

Why Saudis? Don't they like their own investment showing colors in Pakistan?

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Masoud

Jun 28, 2014 12:07pm

Good decision, you cannot risk lives of so many happy vacationer on board the inbound flight.

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IDP

Jun 28, 2014 12:32pm

what are saudi afraid of. its their own set of mind and funds doing this .

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Mohammad Iqbal

Jun 28, 2014 12:33pm

After Emirates and Etihad it is the third gulf airlines to suspend flights to Peshawar. The most affected will be the expatriates from Peshawar who make almost 50% of the Pakistani work force in middle east , particularly Saudia Arabia and UAE. What next. We will be the Cuba of asia.

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Rashid Ishaq

Jun 28, 2014 12:36pm

while we were busy in preparation of Bahawalpur Jalsa and movement against rigging;

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Last Word

Jun 28, 2014 02:58pm

Bye bye International- Cricket, travel and now flights. What next ?

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Rubnawaz

Jun 28, 2014 03:27pm

Early eid for PIA and other Pakistani airlines. The owners of local airlines must be having sleepless nights form the joy of market share handed on a plate. I hope they urgently introduce measures to hold onto the market when the foreign competition returns.

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Jawwad Saeed

Jun 28, 2014 06:11pm

Why cry sour grapes now? Land Mafia which is effectively our entire political class has been playing Russian Roulette with the lives of Pakistanis and others ever since they started to grab prized lands around all major airports in Pakistan and turning them into slums for profiteering and we now have ended up with a situation where every airport is surrounded by unknown number of kachi abadis or slums and impossible to uproot them. I feared this back in 90's. I am surprised it took 20 years to come to fruition. Who knows airport securities or intelligence selling your private information to who? Has anyone checked the number of abduction of Pakistanis returning with foreign passport has skyrocketed? Everyone knows it's going down and they just want to have it for themselves before it goes down.

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Khan

Jun 28, 2014 06:20pm

I think this is what we deserve unfortunately. We keep on welcoming dictators and when we are tired of them then elect pathetic bunch of self-serving corrupt politicians and then we wonder why is our country going down. We are being humiliated, killed and deprived of the most basic amenities and yet we don't want to wake up from the deep slumber. We lost half the country by denying economic justice and rejecting the will of the majority and blamed it on outside forces. We didn't learn any lesson and we are repeating the same mistakes. We accept saudi and American bribes and radicalize our people and create monsters and then they bite us. We turn our neighbors into enemies and the buy expensive weaponry for war and starve our people. Instead our priorities should be health, education, justice, economic growth, friendly relation with all our neighbors and trade with them. Any politician who will not sincerely work for these goals or is not capable bringing significant improvement in all these sectors should never be elected.

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Prince

Jun 28, 2014 07:10pm

If this trend continues we need to establish visa free travel to neighboring countries, so we can fly in to there and travel by train/bus home.

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Saiyed zaidi

Jun 28, 2014 07:39pm

Wow! Pakistan is really cornered. How about Imran Khan maybe he can suggest some solutions he is good with cornered tigers situations...just a thought.

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riz1

Jun 28, 2014 08:11pm

@Ahmed Solution, stop distinguishing between bad and good terrorists. Stop exporting and importing the same. Good for the nation, good for the world!

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Moiz Omar

Jun 28, 2014 08:13pm

If this keeps happening no international airline will fly to Pakistan anymore.

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Ridwan

Jun 28, 2014 09:00pm

Looks like PIA hit the jackpot - when all other airlines leave, PIA will have a monopoly on travel into Pakistan.

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Naseer

Jun 28, 2014 09:48pm

If Saudi flights and funds are stopped, we will have a much better chance to defeat terrorists.

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Vinay

Jun 28, 2014 09:57pm

There are some groups within Pakistan, who have the mindset to damage Pakistan economically and socially. Unfortunately, the government is unable to control them. If this continues, Pakistan will be placed in isolation. Wake up Mr. Sharif and take some strong actions before it is too late.

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Rubnawaz

Jun 28, 2014 10:01pm

Early eid for PIA and other Pakistani airlines. The owners of local airlines must be having sleepless nights from the joy of market share acquired on a plate without any effort. I hope they urgently introduce measures to hold onto the market when the foreign competition returns.

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Deaf Wall

Jun 28, 2014 10:24pm

Why Saudi Airline? It is line with their country's mega investments to put Pakistanis on the "right path"- siraat e mustaqeem.

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Zohaib

Jun 28, 2014 11:11pm

Saudi should be happy.Their export and our import is bearing fruits....now enjoy the fun...

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