COVID-19: PIA to operate 53 special flights from next week

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to operate 53 special flights from next week to facilitate Pakistanis stranded abroad, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details, the flights would be operated for Algeria, Khartoum, Nairobi, Oman, Zurich, Amsterdam, Turkey and Jeddah to bring the Pakistani citizens.

The PIA has asked the passengers who were unable to travel to Pakistan from these destinations due to suspension of flight operations amid COVID-19 pandemic to contact the airline’s call centre and provide their local numbers for coordination.

The numbers would be used to inform the passengers regarding booking procedures, flight suspension and others details pertaining to changes made in the flight operations.

Meanwhile, the national flag carrier has also announced to lower its fares after the CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik took notice of the higher fares charged from overseas Pakistanis returning to the country.

“Tickets with updated fares will now be available on the e-ticketing system,” said the PIA spokesman.

It is pertinent to mention here that taking notice of high airfare of special flights amid coronavirus lockdown, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik on Monday directed to reduce the fares.

Following a meeting with Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, the PIA CEO directed the sales department to cut the airfare immediately.

He maintained that PIA will not charge extra amount from the passengers except the operational cost. On the occasion, the CEO directed to take action against those travel agents who were charging additional profit from the passengers.