First PIA pre-Hajj flight departs from Karachi

KARACHI:

PIA commenced its pre-Hajj operations on Saturday with the departure of flight PK 743 from Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.

PIA CEO Amanullah Qureshi, along with other senior PIA officials, bid farewell to the first group of Hajj pilgrims Qureshi conveyed his gratitude to the pilgrims for choosing PIA to commence their Hajj journey. 

The flight departed for Madina early morning on Saturday.

The COO expressed confidence in PIA's ability to execute the Hajj operation smoothly, citing examples of their prior successful execution of pilgrimage flight operations. He reaffirmed that PIA's staff will provide all support and services to the pilgrims.

Furthermore, the PIA spokesman announced that the national airline will facilitate over 34,000 Hajj pilgrims from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia.

Among them, approximately 19,000 pilgrims will travel under the official Hajj scheme, while 15,000 will utilize the private Hajj scheme, served by 170 PIA Hajj flights operating from various cities including Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Sialkot, and Sukkur.

PIA's pre-Hajj operation is set to conclude on June 10.

Read PIA offers 20% discount to Umrah pilgrims

Previously, the airlines said that the immigration of pilgrims would take place in Pakistan under the Road to Makkah project.

According to the PIA guidelines, the pilgrims were informed to reach the airport 6 hours before the flight time. They must carry with them a smartphone with the ministry-recommended app installed in it besides the vaccination card from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

The passengers are strictly forbidden from carrying nail cutters, scissors, razors, lighters, toys with batteries, matches, power banks, cylinders, emergency lights, lanterns, stoves, inflammable substances in their belongings.

According to a spokesperson for the religious affairs ministry, flights for the first 15 days would ferry the pilgrims to Madina airport, while most of the flights between May 24 and June 9 would land at Jeddah airport. Besides Karachi, the flights would be operated from Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Sialkot, Quetta and Sukkur.

The return flights would commence on June 20.