PIA’s pre-Hajj flight operation to commence from tomorrow

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will start pre-Hajj flight operation tomorrow (April 19), reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

The airline will operate 191 flights to take over 55,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year.

As many as 49,000 pilgrims under the government scheme and over 6,000 pilgrims under private schemes will travel to the holy land onboard PIA flights, which will be operated from Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Quetta.

Over 15,400 pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia from Islamabad onboard 46 flights, while over 15,000 pilgrims will travel from Karachi onboard 55 flights.

Similarly, 12,337 pilgrims will travel from Lahore onboard 34 flights; 3,680 pilgrims will travel from Faisalabad onboard 23 flights; 5,383 will travel from Multan onboard 13 flights.

Likewise, the national flag carrier will operate five flights from Sialkot to take 2,075 pilgrims, and 15 flights from Quetta to take 4,487 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

The first flight, PK-747, with over 390 pilgrims onboard, will take off from Sialkot for Medina tomorrow at 1:55 AM, while from Faisalabad, PK-4003, with over 150 pilgrims onboard, will leave for Medina at 11:05 AM tomorrow.

The first flight from Multan, with 391 pilgrims onboard, will take off on April 20 at 6:35 AM, while from Islamabad the first flight of the pre-Hajj operation, PK-713, with 300 pilgrims onboard, will leave for Medina on April 21 at 11:30 AM.

Similarly, the first flight from Quetta will carry over 300 pilgrims to the holy land on April 21 at 5:45 early in the morning, while from Karachi, the first flight, PK-743, with 391 pilgrims on board, will leave for its destination on April 23 at 7:15 in the morning.

Likewise, the first flight, PK-747, will depart from Lahore on April 24 at 10:20 PM.

More than 300 pilgrims will travel in the flight.

The operation will conclude on May 21.

Reporters: Saeed Ahmad Saeed and Ashraf Khan