High alert temporarily shuts down Islamabad airport's airfield

Islamabad: The airfield at Islamabad International Airport (IIAP) was briefly closed late Tuesday night after aviation authorities issued a high alert due to an unspecified reason, official sources said.

The alert began at 11:48 p.m. local time Tuesday (1848 GMT) on April 29 and lasted until 12:21 a.m. Wednesday (1921 GMT Tuesday) on April 30, leading to a temporary suspension of outbound flight operations for approximately 33 minutes, the sources told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

During this period, boarding procedures for three international flights, PK-233 bound for Dubai, PK-287 for Doha, and PA-210 also heading to Dubai were not initiated, the sources added.

Authorities have yet to release details about the nature of the high alert.

Despite the brief disruption, all inbound flights operated according to schedule, and normal airfield operations resumed shortly after the alert was lifted.

Authorities assured passengers that safety protocols were followed to ensure the security of all travelers.

Islamabad International Airport serves as one of Pakistan's key aviation hubs, handling both domestic and international traffic.

The temporary suspension raised concerns among travelers, though services returned to normal shortly after midnight.