ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has directed all foreign airlines to carry enough fuel for their return journeys, as the country grapples with a severe shortage of Jet A-1 fuel triggered by the intensifying conflict in the Middle East.
According to a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the PAA, the supply of aviation fuel at domestic airports has been significantly curtailed due to regional supply chain disruptions, advising international carriers to maximize their fuel “uplift” at foreign stations and minimize refueling within Pakistan.
The directive has already begun to impact international flight schedules.
Flights to Pakistan are turning into a nightmare for luggage…. different airlines are straight-up leaving passengers’ bags behind because they’re tankering extra fuel from abroad.
Why? Pakistan Airports Authority told them to minimize fuel uplift here due to the Jet A-1… pic.twitter.com/E25uBA0POh
— Fahad Naim (@Fahadnaimb) March 24, 2026
Airline sources confirmed that on Wednesday, a foreign carrier’s flight from Karachi to Doha was forced to make an unscheduled technical landing in Muscat to refuel, as the limited quota provided in Pakistan was insufficient for the duration of the flight.
While foreign carriers face strict rationing, PAA officials maintained that Pakistani airlines, including the national flag carrier, are currently being provided with “full fuel” as per their operational requirements to ensure domestic connectivity remains intact.
The policy has evidently created a logistics crisis for travelers as. om prder to accommodate the weight of “tankering”—the practice of carrying extra fuel from abroad to avoid refueling in Pakistan—airlines are being forced to significantly reduce their takeoff weight, thus resulting in the systematic offloading of passenger baggage and commercial cargo.
“Flights to Pakistan are turning into a nightmare,” reported one frustrated traveler. Passengers have complained that several airlines are arriving in Pakistan without their checked-in luggage, leaving bags behind at transit hubs to make room for the extra fuel weight.
Reports suggest that affected passengers are receiving little to no compensation for the delays, with airline staff citing “regulatory compliance” and “regional instability” as the primary reasons for the missing bags.
It is pertinent to mention here that the fuel crunch follows a sharp escalation in the Middle East, which has seen critical oil shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, face disruptions. The crisis has not only squeezed supply but also sent costs skyrocketing; earlier this month, the price of Jet A-1 fuel in Pakistan was hiked by a record Rs154 per litre, an 82% increase that has pushed the rate to over Rs342 per litre.
Industry experts believe that if the regional situation does not stabilize by the end of the month—when the current NOTAM is set to expire—more international airlines may be forced to reduce their flight frequencies to Pakistan or introduce further weight restrictions.
