PIA completes post-Hajj operations

22,054 pilgrims return to Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has successfully concluded its post-Hajj operations of transporting pilgrims from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan.  The last flight landed in Karachi early Wednesday morning. Post-Hajj operations were carried out via 240 Hajj and regular scheduled flights, from Jeddah and Madina, with an overall flight punctuality rate of 90%. More than 68,500 Hujjaj were brought back to Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi, Sialkot, Multan and Faisalabad stations, via 158 regular and 82 special flights.

PIA Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Saqib Aziz congratulated the members of PIA's Hajj team on the completion of Hajj flights operation 2018. He praised the airline's employees from various departments including flight operations, flight services, customer services, engineering, ground support and others, for their contributions. He said that despite certain constraints and the sudden increase in the number of Hujjaj from Quetta, PIA was able to successfully complete post-Hajj operations. This was achieved without any leased aircrafts, he said. PIA also conducted chartered operations to Africa, transporting Pakistani troops for United Nations' mission duties, during the Hajj season. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2018.