The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Tuesday that dense fog had affected its flight schedule in Lahore, Multan, Sialkot and Faisalabad, affecting both domestic and international operations.

In a statement, the spokesperson for the national carrier urged passengers travelling domestically and internationally to obtain the latest information about their flights before leaving for the airport.

The spokesperson said that temporary changes were made to the schedule to ensure passenger safety and to avoid unnecessary delays in flight operations.

He said that dense fog affected visibility significantly, creating challenges for aircraft during landing and takeoff. He added that passengers could contact the PIA helpline for updates on the status of their flights.

According to the weekly weather outlook issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department, cold and dry weather was likely to expected in most parts of the country on Tuesday.

“Moderate to dense fog/smog is likely to persist over Punjab, upper Sindh and plain areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” it said.

Last week, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had forecast heavy smog and fog across Punjab from Dec 12 to 16 (Tuesday) and urged citizens to adopt precautionary measures.