With a decline in the infectivity rate and the government’s robust inoculation campaign against Covid-19 pandemic, the airlines are also showing signs of resilience. Seeing the number of air passengers going up, the domestic airlines have withdrawn their cheap air ticket facility, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday. 

Sources said the days of cheap travel have gone now. All private airlines including Pakistan national flag carrier have taken back their cheap air ticket facility. If you want to fly down to Karachi from Lahore or you want to travel to Islamabad from Lahore, you must have to pay Rs11,000 on average. 

Airlines all over the world have suffered the most during the coronavirus pandemic that resulted in restrictions on all kinds of national or international travel imposed by the governments. 

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However, with the effective vaccine rollout programmes and long intermittent periods of social distancing, the pandemic has started receding in many parts of the world.

Likewise, in Pakistan, as the caseload is getting down, the government has decided to open up businesses with strict SOPs in place.

With the business and tourism open, the airlines foresee an opportunity to make up for their losses and withdraw the concession they had offered during lockdown periods in the shape of cheap travel offers. 

The PIA and all other domestic airlines have raised their fares from Lahore to Karachi and Islamabad. Sources said that airfares to other routes would also go up in coming days.

 

Reporter Syed Zeeshan Ahmed