PIA cuts fares for Umrah pilgrims

Umrah round-trip fare from Karachi to Madina will be Rs76,000, other major cities for Rs86,000

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced a substantial reduction in airfares for travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah pilgrims.

According to a PIA spokesperson, pilgrims travelling from Pakistan to Madina will benefit from discounted fares.

The round-trip fare for Umrah from Karachi to Madina will be Rs76,000, excluding taxes. For travellers from Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, and Sialkot to Madina, the round-trip fare will be Rs86,000.

The national flag carrier has reduced the fare for Umrah pilgrims by Rs34,000. Previously, the fare was Rs120,000, which has now been reduced to Rs86,000.

The PIA spokesperson stated that this discount is effective immediately and will remain in effect until July 15.

Earlier this year on April 4, the national carrier reduced the one-way fare for Saudi residents and work visa holders by 30% as well as 20% for Umrah pilgrims.

The discount applied from April 7 to 11 allowing passengers to travel to Jeddah and Madina to benefit from it.

Official sources at the Pakistan Hajj Mission told APP that the month-long pre-Hajj flight operation, which began on May 9 to transport approximately 70,105 intending Pakistani pilgrims to the holy cities of Saudi Arabia under the government scheme, continued smoothly and according to schedule.

The sources noted that a total of 38,150 Pakistani pilgrims, constituting almost 54.35% of the total, had reached Madinah and Makkah.

As of April 8, PIA achieved a significant milestone in its financial performance for the nine months ending January to September 2023, according to an audited report.

During this period, the national flag carrier reported a remarkable increase in revenue, soaring to Rs186 billion. This marked a substantial rise of Rs14 billion compared to the corresponding period in 2022, demonstrating growth despite challenges.

Despite the surge in revenue, PIA faced a loss of Rs75 billion throughout the nine months of 2023. However, this figure reflects a notable improvement from the previous year, with a decrease of Rs12 billion in losses compared to 2022.