Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has massively hiked airfares for special repatriation flights from the UAE, authorities said. The new ticket prices shall take effect from June 22.

The fares have been hiked by up to 57 percent. The flights have been restarted to repatriate Pakistanis stranded in emirate following coronavirus outbreak.

"PIA has increased its fare from Dubai to Peshawar and Punjab to Dh1,470 for economy class and Dh2,200 for business class. For Karachi, PIA has hiked airfares to Dh1,270 for the economy and Dh1,900 for business class. These new fares will be applicable from Monday, June 22," said Ahmed Amjad Ali, the Consul-General of Pakistan in Dubai.

Earlier, Pakistan's national carrier was charging Dh1,110 for an economy class ticket to Punjab and Peshawar, and Dh810 for Karachi.

PIA has so far operated 105 flights in cooperation with Pakistan's Consulate in Dubai, repatriating 22,000 Pakistanis from the emirate.

Around 18 to 20 special flights will be operated from Dubai this week until June 27, Ali said in a video message released on Sunday.

https://twitter.com/ParepDubai/status/1274689346944319488

"We expect that around the same number (18-20) of PIA flights will be operating from Abu Dhabi this week. The UAE carriers will also operate flights. So, we expect that around 22,000 will be repatriated to Pakistan this week alone," Ali told Khaleej Times.

He requested travellers not to purchase PIA's Dubai flight tickets from any travel agent.

"No agent is authorised to issue any PIA ticket for flights operating from Dubai. Therefore, no one should purchase any PIA tickets for operating from Dubai flights," he said.