PAA releases new Notam for Islamabad airport’s temporary flying operations suspension

Flight operations at Islamabad airport will be suspended for two hours on March 17, according to a new Notice to Airmen (Notam) released by the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Sunday.

The notice was issued mere hours after the PAA rescinded the earlier announcement that flight operations would be suspended for two hours on March 16.

The latest Notam states that on March 17, landing and takeoff operations at Islamabad airport would be suspended for two hours, from 8:30 am to 10:30 am.

On March 17, six sectors of the Lahore Flight Information Region (FIR) will also be temporarily blocked to commercial flights.

The PAA had already declared that on March 16, between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m., commercial aircraft will not be permitted to land or take off at Islamabad International Airport.

Noting that flights already in the air during the restricted period might need to stay in holding patterns before arriving at the Islamabad airport, the warning warned aircraft captains to make sure they had extra fuel reserves.

Separately, because of supply limitations brought on by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, the PAA has ordered airlines operating out of the nation to depart with the bare minimum of gasoline.

The PAA reported in a Notam on Saturday that the current state of affairs in the Middle East is causing difficulties to the availability of aviation fuel A-1.

The alert was issued because the local circumstances have impacted the availability of A-1 jet fuel, necessitating safety precautions for flying operations.

In this sense, airlines were instructed to import as much jet fuel as they could from foreign airports.

The PAA states that the jet fuel supply-related Notam will be in force until March 31.