The national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has begun its post-Hajj flight operation and three flights brought back Hujjaj to the country from Saudi Arabia today, ARY News reported.
The first PIA flight with 329 hujjaj on board landed at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport. PIA staffers warmly welcomed the hujjaj at the airport upon their return from Saudi Arabia.
The second PIA flight with 360 pilgrims on board landed at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport. The pilgrims were welcomed by Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori.
The third PIA flight PK-762 landed at Islamabad International Airport. The federal minister for religious affairs was also among the 392 hujjaj on the flight.
The national airline operated overall four post-Hajj flights today.
The airline’s spokesperson said that the post-Hajj flight operation will be continued till August 2.
Earlier, the pre-Hajj operations – scheduled to take place from Karachi to Jeddah – conducted by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had been successfully concluded on June 23, marking an important milestone in facilitating pilgrims.
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A significant number of 61,467 pilgrims had been facilitated through a total of 268 flights, serving a total of 41,000 government-sponsored pilgrims, 19,000 private pilgrims and 600 staff members based in Madina and Jeddah.
It is worth mentioning here that the pre-Hajj operation was commenced by PIA on May 21 and spanned until June 22, allowing ample time for pilgrims to make their preparations and travel arrangements.
The flights departed directly from major cities including Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Peshawar, ensuring convenient access for pilgrims from different regions.
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During the pre-Hajj operations, PIA’s achieved impressive punctuality, with a remarkable rate of 94 per cent for timely departures among the 268 flights. Out of the total flights, an impressive number of 249 departed either on time or slightly ahead of schedule, ensuring a seamless travel experience for the pilgrims.
While some delays were encountered during the Hajj operation, they were limited to only 19 flights and were attributed to various reasons. Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), PIA expressed his appreciation and applauded the teams involved in achieving a high rate of timely departures throughout the operation.