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Turkish Airlines announced the cancellation of all scheduled flights between Istanbul and the Pakistani cities of Islamabad and Lahore for May 8 and 9, citing regional instability following India's military strikes on Pakistan.
In a statement issued Thursday, the airline said, “Due to ongoing political unrest in Asia, our flights to and from Islamabad and Lahore scheduled for Thursday, May 8, and Friday, May 9, have been canceled.”
The affected flights include TK 714 (Istanbul–Lahore), TK 715 (Lahore–Istanbul), TK 710 (Istanbul–Islamabad), TK 711 (Islamabad–Istanbul), TK 750 (Istanbul–Islamabad), and TK 751 (Islamabad–Istanbul), the airline confirmed.
Passengers are advised to check Turkish Airlines’ official website or mobile app to update their travel plans.
Shortly after the airline’s announcement, Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the temporary closure of airports in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. In a public notice, the authority said the facilities would remain closed until 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. GMT), citing “operational reasons.”
According to real-time flight tracking service FlightRadar24, flights operated by Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines were seen rerouting back to Istanbul late Tuesday night.
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