Islamabad airport flights may face delays during specified hours from May 8 to 10

ISLAMABAD: Flight operations at Islamabad airport may be affected during specific time windows from May 8 to 10 due to what the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) described as operational reasons, according to a notice to airmen (Notam) issued on Friday.

The Notam said arrivals and departures could face delays from 10:45am to 12:15pm on May 8. It also said flights may be delayed between 8pm and 9:15pm on May 9 and May 10.

According to the notice, the possible disruption applies to both incoming and outgoing flights at the federal capital’s airport during those periods.

The PAA also advised aircraft arriving at Islamabad airport to carry extra fuel to manage any waiting time caused by the expected delays. The Notam specifically asked arriving flights to bring sufficient holding fuel to cater to the delay.

PAA issues operational advisory

The latest advisory was issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority as part of its formal notification to airlines and flight operators. While the notice referred to operational reasons, it did not provide further details in the information available in the advisory.

The development means passengers travelling through Islamabad over the weekend may experience changes to scheduled arrival and departure times during the notified hours, as flight movements could be affected by the restrictions outlined in the Notam.

The PAA had issued a similar Notam for Islamabad airport earlier this year as well. In March, it said flight operations at the airport would be suspended for two hours on March 17 due to operational reasons.

At that time too, arriving aircraft were advised to bring sufficient holding fuel to cater for delay, reflecting a similar operational precaution to the one included in the latest notice.

The fresh advisory covers three days, with one daytime slot on May 8 and evening slots on May 9 and 10. Airlines and passengers are expected to plan accordingly in light of the notified timings.

No further operational details were included in the Notam beyond the stated timings and the instruction for arriving aircraft regarding fuel reserves.

bring sufficient holding fuel to cater to the delay

The notice underscores that the expected impact relates to delays in flight arrivals and departures, rather than a blanket suspension of operations across the entire period covered by the advisory.

Islamabad airport had previously seen a similar operational notice in March, when the PAA announced a temporary suspension for two hours, again citing operational reasons.