KARACHI: International carrier Emirates on Wednesday announced that it is halting flights in and out of Peshawar "until further notice".

In a short statement, the UAE-based airline said: "We can confirm that we are suspending our flights to Peshawar for operational reasons. This will take effect immediately (from 16 December) until further notice."

It added that services to other points in Pakistan — Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, and Sialkot — continue to operate as scheduled.

Booking a ticket for Peshawar on the Emirates website currently gives the following message:

"Emirates has suspended its services to Peshawar until further notice for operational reasons. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers. Customers are advised to contact their travel agent or Emirates Call Centres for rebooking options, and visit the website for further updates."

The short statement further said: "We remain committed to our customers in Pakistan and hope to resume services to Peshawar as soon as operational conditions allow us to do so". The carrier also apologised for the inconvenience.

The announcement comes shortly after a shocking Taliban attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, which left 141 people dead, most of them children.

Read: Taliban massacre 131 schoolchildren

The tragic death of over 100 school children has shaken the country and the international community, as condemnation for the attack pour in from the US, UK, India and other countries.

International airlines had suspended flights to Peshawar earlier this year for one month when militants attacked a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight flying into the city's Bacha Khan Airport.