THERE are serious flight safety concerns regarding all Pakistani airlines operating flights to the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. While the conflict between the United States and Iran seems to be on a temporary hold, the Houthi militia continues to target locations across Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles, making its airspace a declared conflict zone.

Several major international airlines have suspended or restricted their operations to the region, strictly following the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) conflict zone information bulletins and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notice to airmen.

It is a matter of serious concern that all Pakistani airlines are continuing operations into and over Saudi Arabia unabated without any apparent revised safety risk assessment. In doing so, the lives of our passengers and crew are being exposed to a war-risk environment that the rest of the world is avoiding.

The aviation regulator, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), should have intervened already to at least guide Pakistani operators on how to carefully monitor the situation and operate only after a thorough threat assessment.

Sadly, it seems to be looking the other way. Commercial considerations must never override the safety of passengers. The PCAA should review the Middle East airspace situation and issue unambiguous instructions to all Pakistan-based airlines.

Arif Majeed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2026