PIA likely to suspend Karachi-Mumbai flights: reports

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines is likely to suspend its karachi-mumbai flights from May 11 reportedly for commercial reasons, said reports in the Indian media.

According to NDTV, PIA, in a communication to authorities concerned, has said that its Karachi-Mumbai flight will not be open for sale (bookings) from May 11,” a company associated with the flight operation told news agency PTI in Mumbai

However, the PIA’s Lahore-Delhi flight operation will continue as traffic volume on this route is satisfactory, the PIA official told PTI. The suspension of Karachi-Mumbai route may add traffic to Lahore-Delhi route, he said.

“There will be no PIA flight between Karachi to Mumbai and Mumbai to Karachi from April 8. The PIA has stopped booking for flights on this route,” the official said. The PIA management has decided to suspend the flight on the Karachi-Mumbai route because of extremely low traffic (on the route).

“Since we have been bearing financial loss on this route for the last six months or so we have arrived at a decision to suspend this route,” the official said, adding that unless a special subsidy is not given by the government on this route it may not be restored in the near future.

“The reasons behind the move are purely commercial,” PIA spokesperson Danyal Gillani was quoted as saying.