Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) halted its flight operations to Dubai and Sharjah due to severe weather in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The national flag carrier released a statement confirming that the disruption was caused by heavy rainfall affecting the region.
According to the statement, “All airline operations, including those of PIA, will remain on hold until further notice.” The UAE authorities have escalated their weather warnings to an orange alert due to the “unstable” conditions.
Recent reports from Khaleej Times indicate that the UAE has been gearing up for this new bout of erratic weather, expected to climax between May 2 and May 3. In response, safety advisories have been widely disseminated. Educational institutions have shifted to remote learning, and businesses are encouraged to adopt work-from-home arrangements. Additionally, public recreational areas such as parks and beaches are temporarily closed.
Although this current period of rainfall in the UAE is predicted to be milder than the extraordinary deluge earlier in the month, residents are advised to exercise caution.
Flight operations of other UAE-based airlines, including Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, and Air Arabia, have also suffered due to the weather, experiencing delays, cancellations, and route diversions, as per Gulf News.
Specifically, Emirates has announced the cancellation of flights to multiple cities, such as Istanbul, Nairobi, Cairo, Amman, Singapore, and Johannesburg, reflecting the widespread impact of the adverse weather on air travel.
 has temporarily suspended flight operations to Dubai and Sharjah as heavy rains and unstable weather conditions hit the United Arab Emirates, with further disruptions expected.){kind=link}