Flydubai Pakistan flights suspension has disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers.
KARACHI: The Dubai-based low-cost carrier Flydubai has suspended all its operations to Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar until October 26 due to “operational issues”.
Flights from Karachi are the only ones running currently. The airline Flydubai has assured that there won’t be any disruption to services between Karachi and Dubai; a relief to the millions of Pakistani diaspora who use the northern route to reach their homes.
There’s no denying this as the flights have already been suspended prior to making this announcement. Flightsradar24 shows that flights FZ353/FZ354 from Islamabad to Dubai, flights FZ359/FZ360 from Lahore to Dubai have been cancelled since May 7, and this was done without informing passengers beforehand.
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Something Bigger Is Going On
Flydubai published a statement on its website on March 31, right after US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered a full-blown regional war on February 28. The statement said the airline was flying a “reduced schedule” across its whole network. It never mentioned Iran once.
Our team will keep watching the developments and making changes to our flight schedule accordingly,” the message said. “Passenger and staff safety is always our number one concern.
Now, look beyond the words to understand the whole story. The Iran war didn’t just rattle the region — it is actively strangling jet fuel supply chains across Asia. The International Air Transport Association flagged this last month in unusually direct language.
I think we will see airlines starting to reduce some of their schedules as we go towards the peak summer period in anticipation of some fuel shortages,” IATA chief Willie Walsh said. Asia, he added, would feel it first. Pakistan sits squarely in that blast radius.
Flydubai only launched in Islamabad and Lahore in July 2024. Peshawar came even later, May last year. For a budget carrier trying to build a foothold in the Pakistan-UAE corridor, these routes were the whole bet. Now they sit idle until late October. This includes trips for Eid, summertime vacations, and the complete peak season of remittances where Pakistani expatriates living in the UAE are more prone to flying home. Nothing is known about what measures Emirates Airlines will take regarding the affected customers. All they have done is tell people to check their site before arriving at the airport.
What Should You Do Right Now?
If you hold a Flydubai booking to Islamabad, Lahore or Peshawar call the airline today. Do not wait for an email. Seats on alternative carriers are already tightening as demand shifts to PIA, Emirates and Air Arabia. The summer travel window is short. Every day you wait is a day someone else books the last affordable seat.
Flydubai has not given any guarantee the routes return on October 26. If the fuel crisis deepens — and Walsh’s warning suggests it might October could just be the next deadline they push.
