The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has initiated a plan to operate direct flights from Karachi to Skardu, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

PIA Chief Operating Officer Arshad Malik directed Sales Manager to make arrangements for direct flights between the two cities, the TV channel reported, quoting its sources.

The national carrier will operate Airbus 320 for the twice a week flights between both southern port city of Karachi and Gilgit Baltistan’s Skardu city.

It has been decided in case of bad weather the flights will be diverted to Islamabad International Airport.

According to a PIA spokesperson, Gilgit Baltistan residents in Karachi will especially get facilities to avail the direct flight from Karachi to Skardu.

It is pertinent to note that prior to this facility, one flight per day of one-hour duration only operated between Islamabad and Skardu.

Operation to bring back stranded Pakistanis completed
A grand operation has been completed for repatriation of Pakistanis stranded abroad due to travel restrictions and lockdown because of the coronavirus outbreak.

More than 304,000 Pakistanis were repatriated by more than 500 domestic and international flights under a special flight operation from 64 countries of the world.

At least 300,000 Pakistanis were repatriated through special flight operations while 4,329 Pakistanis returned home via land routes. The operation launched for the repatriation of Pakistanis stranded abroad in view of lockdown and travel restrictions due to global pandemic has been completed, under which more than 344,000 Pakistanis were repatriated by domestic and international flights and land routes.

According to a document received from the Crisis Management Unit, a total of more than 500 flights of domestic and foreign airlines were operated. Under which 300,000 Pakistanis returned home by air and 4,329 Pakistanis by land.

According to the documents, 2,000 members of the Tablighi Jamaat, 1,326 pilgrims and 1,745 Pakistanis imprisoned in foreign jails returned through special flights. According to CMU documents, 154,000 Pakistanis were repatriated from United Arab Emirates, 63,595 from Saudi Arabia, 17,000 from Qatar, 11,729 from Oman, 4,469 from Bahrain and 6,339 Pakistanis were repatriated from Turkey under the operation launched to repatriate Pakistani citizens.