Ukraine-Russia conflict: PIA flight plan to evacuate Pakistani students

Pakistan has prepared a flight plan to evacuate Pakistani citizens and students trapped in war-torn Ukraine as the ambassador and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) chief executive officer made a contact today, ARY News reported on Friday.

PIA CEO Arshad Malik and the Pakistani Ambassador to Ukraine Dr Noel I Khokhar held a contact to discuss different plans for the evacuation of the nationals from war-torn Ukraine.

A flight operation was prepared to evacuate 2,000 Pakistanis trapped in Ukraine. According to the plan, all Pakistani students will gather in Ukraine’s Ternopil city. The embassy will make arrangements to transport the students via the ground route to Poland.

A PIA Boeing 777 will airlift the Pakistani students from Poland.

READ: UKRAINE-RUSSIA CONFLICT: ‘PIA READY TO OPERATE FLIGHTS FOR STRANDED STUDENTS’

The PIA CEO said in a statement that preparations are underway to operate the evacuation flight. The flight will immediately depart for Poland to bring back the students. He vowed that the national flag carrier will take all-out efforts to evacuate all Pakistanis from the war zone.

In his Twitter message, Arshad Malik wrote, “I spoke to HE Gen Noel, our ambassador in Ukraine, he was wide awake with his full team in embassy, discussed various options to recover our students through #PIA, airspace is closed but working out various options In Sha Allah, we shall find a way, PIA is a call away.

I spoke to HE Gen Noel, our ambassador in Ukraine, he was wide awake with his full team in embassy, discussed various options to recover our students through #PIA, airspace is closed but working out various options In Sha Allah, we shall find a way, PIA is a call away

— Air Marshal Arshad Malik (@amarshadmalik) February 25, 2022

Earlier in the day, PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik had announced that the airline was ready to bring back stranded Pakistani students from Ukraine, following an attack from Russia.

READ: UKRAINE-RUSSIA CONFLICT: PAKISTANI EMBASSY RELEASES EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Speaking to ARY NEWS, Air Marshal Arshad Malik said that PIA could operate special flights to bring back stranded students.

“We are in touch with foreign ministry officials for the return of stranded students in Ukraine,” he said and added, “As soon as we get a green signal, we will operate flights for those trapped in war-hit Ukraine.”

Pakistan embassy in Ukraine confirmed that all Pakistanis in Ukraine are safe and they are reaching out to them to assure their well being and evacuation.

Moreover, the embassy established a facilitation center in Ternopil and a reception point at Lviy railway station to facilitate the nationals.