ISLAMABAD: Specially-designated flights for Hajj will no longer be operational after August 6, officials from Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MRA) said on Monday.
All pre-Hajj flights had been assigned by Pakistan from July 4 to cater to 200,000 nationals traveling to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.
Commenting on the initiative, MRA spokesperson, Imran Siddiqui said that 129,000 pilgrims – including the 93,000 availing the government scheme and the 36,000 using the services of private operators – have reached Saudi Arabia so far.
To facilitate pilgrims in the Kingdom, Pakistan’s Hajj mission in-charge for Jeddah Airport, Inaam ul Haq, said that dedicated staff, popularly known as Moaveneen, are working round-the-clock to assist the pilgrims flying in from various destinations, the MRA said in a statement released on Sunday.
“A lost and found kiosk has also been set up at the airport which helps pilgrims to locate their misplaced luggage and other belongings,” excerpts from the statement read.
Prior to the start of the special Hajj flights, a team of officials from Saudi had visited the capital last week to install an immigration system at the Islamabad International Airport as part of the ‘Road to Makkah’ project.
The move follows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan in February this year, wherein he had announced plans to include Islamabad in the Road to Makkah project – on the personal request of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Under the project, all pilgrims traveling to the Kingdom for Hajj can clear immigration in Pakistan, instead of having to do so on arrival in Saudi.
Pre-Hajj flights from Pakistan to Saudi to end on August 6
Pre-Hajj flights from Pakistan to Saudi to end on August 6
- Had been designated from July 4 to cater to nearly 200,000 pilgrims
- More than 1,29,000 nationals have already reached the Kingdom by using the services
Pakistan’s PIA to resume London flights from Mar. 29 after six-year gap
- Newly privatized airline says will operate four weekly flights from Islamabad to London
- PIA is already operating three fllights per week to British city Manchester, says airline
ISLAMABAD: The newly privatized Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will operate direct flights to London starting Mar. 29, 2026, after six years, its spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.
The PIA resumed its flight operations to the UK in October this year with its inaugural flight to Manchester. The airline is currently operating three weekly flights to the British city.
Britain lifted restrictions on Pakistani carriers in July, nearly half a decade after grounding them following a 2020 PIA Airbus A320 crash in Karachi that killed 97 people. The disaster was followed by claims of irregularities in pilot licensing, which led to bans in the US, UK and the European Union.
“Pakistan International Airlines has announced the expansion of its operations in the United Kingdom with the resumption of flights to London,” the airline’s spokesperson said in a statement.
“Starting Mar. 29, PIA will operate four weekly flights from Islamabad to London.”
The airline said that the London flights will be operated from Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4, which it said is recognized as one of its most modern terminals.
“London was PIA’s very first international destination and remains one of its most important and attractive routes,” the spokesperson said.
Pakistan’s government succeeded in its frequent efforts to privatize the airline this month after a consortium, led by Arif Habib Group, on Dec. 23 secured a 75 percent stake in PIA for Rs135 billion ($482 million) after several rounds of bidding, valuing the airline at Rs180 billion ($643 million).
The sale marked Pakistan’s most aggressive attempt in decades to reform the debt-ridden national airline, which had accumulated more than $2.8 billion in financial losses. The government said it would end decades of state-funded bailouts and help revive the airline.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News this week, the airline’s new owner Arif Habib said he plans to renovate PIA planes, improve maintenance and flight schedule, and bring in new aircraft to revive the carrier.
Habib said he sees the region comprising the UK, the US and Canada as a “lucrative market” for the airline’s business.
“There we can increase the frequency of the flight,” he said. “We will also try to run flights to Canada from Karachi, Lahore, and I think it’s already in Islamabad.”
