PIA announces schedule for special flights to repatriate Pakistanis from Gulf states

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Sunday issued a schedule of special flights for bringing back stranded Pakistanis in Gulf countries, ARY News reported.

According to a schedule, PIA will operate 18 special flights from July 5-18 to bring back Pakistanis stranded in Dubai, Doha and Bahrain.

The national flag carrier will operate 10 special flights for Dubai, six for Doha and two flights will bring back stranded Pakistanis from Bahrain.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had ordered concerned authorities to take immediate steps for bringing back stranded Pakistanis in Gulf countries.

Following the premier’s directives, Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan had said that PIA flights are being upgraded from Airbus to Boeing 777.

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He said that more than 6,000 additional passengers will get the facility to travel through the national carrier from Dubai, Sharjah, Doha and Bahrain. Sarwar added that the upgradation of flights will enable more than 2,000 travellers to travel to Pakistan before Eid festival.

The decision was taken in a session held under the chair of Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan and attended by PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arshad Malik and senior officials.