LAHORE, May 12: All flights to and from Karachi were either cancelled or delayed on Saturday as the crew members and airport staff could not reach the airport owing to law and order situation in the cosmopolitan.

Passengers had to come a long way to catch their flights at the Allama Iqbal International Airport. Though PIA claimed that it had informed the passengers in advance that all flights to Karachi had been cancelled, a number of passengers poured in about two hours before their scheduled departure. Much to their disappointment, they were told that they could not fly on Saturday.

“I had to reach Karachi to attend an important business meeting but I was told that perhaps the night coach might not be available either,” said Arslan who had come from Gujranwala.

MBA student Fayyaz Butt who had to catch a flight for Dubai via Karachi was worried whether he would reach there on time to board a London-bound flight from Dubai.

Two PIA flights coming from Karachi to Lahore at 3pm and 7pm were also cancelled. Two flights scheduled to leave here at 6pm and 10pm were also cancelled and their passengers had been promised that they would be sent on special flights.

Five flights of private airlines were also delayed till Sunday.