Allama Iqbal International Airport: 3 flights cancelled, smog at 590

Three international flights from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport were cancelled on Monday, 9 November: one to Riyadh, one to Abu Dhabi and one to Istanbul. Airport sources blamed security concerns for one and technical faults for the other two, not the smog that put Lahore at the top of the world’s pollution list the same day.

If you are flying out of Lahore this week, here is what was cancelled, why, and what the air means for you.

Which flights were cancelled at Lahore airport?

According to airport sources quoted in local reports:

• XY318 to Riyadh, a private airline’s flight, was cancelled over security concerns.
• PF796 to Abu Dhabi was cancelled because of a technical fault.
• TK745 to Istanbul was cancelled because of a technical issue.

No airline or the Pakistan Airports Authority had put out a statement on the cancellations at the time of writing, so these reasons come from airport sources only. Riyadh flights from Lahore have been hit by security-related cancellations before: several were called off in mid-October amid tension in the Gulf. If you are booked to Saudi Arabia or the UAE, check with your airline before leaving home.

Is smog affecting Lahore flights?

Not according to Monday’s reports. None of the three cancellations was put down to low visibility. That could change: in past winters, dense smog and fog at Allama Iqbal International Airport have cut visibility to a few hundred metres and forced delays and cancellations, usually in late November and December.

How bad is Lahore’s air right now?

Bad. IQAir ranked Lahore the world’s most polluted major city on Monday morning, with an AQI of 590 in its 9 to 10 am ranking. Its hourly graph touched 647, which is why many headlines said the AQI “crossed 600”. Some monitoring stations were far worse: Allama Iqbal Town recorded 1,033, the CERP office 864 and Burki Road 748. Raiwind, Multan and Faisalabad were also in the hazardous range.

Anything above 300 is classed as hazardous. Lahore was at 352 on 6 November and 355 on 5 November, so the weekend made it markedly worse.

Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb blamed winds from the east carrying smoke from Diwali fireworks and crop burning in Indian Punjab, on top of the region’s existing pollution. How much comes from across the border has not been independently measured; traffic, industry and burning waste in Lahore add their share. The Punjab environment department said it would publish an assessment on 10 November.

What the Punjab government is advising

In a post on Monday, Aurangzeb said:

• Children, the elderly, pregnant women and anyone with heart, lung or breathing problems should stay indoors until the AQI comes down.
• Skip morning walks, jogging, cycling and other outdoor exercise.
• Keep windows and doors shut at home, at work and in the car, and run car AC on recirculation.
• Don’t burn rubbish or leaves, and keep smoke-emitting vehicles off the road.

The provincial government expects pollution to stay high through 10 November, with some relief from 11 November as the winds change.