Two months later: Saudi Airlines resumes operation in Peshawar

Flight SV798 arrived at Bacha Khan International Airport on Thursday

PESHAWAR:

Saudi Airlines has resumed its operations from the Bacha Khan International Airport (BKIA), Peshawar, after over two months of suspension following an attack on a Pakistan International Airline (PIA) passenger plane on June 24.

According to its regional office, Saudi Airlines resumed its services with the arrival of its flight SV798 at BKIA Peshawar from Riyadh at 12:15pm on Thursday with 280 passengers on board. Flight SV799 also left for Jeddah from Peshawar carrying 323 passengers including 293 Hajj pilgrims (from the private tour operators’ quota).

“We had planned to resume services on August 1 but due to some unknown reasons, the suspension had been extended. But now, the operation from BKIA Peshawar has resumed,” an official at the regional office said, requesting anonymity as he was not entitled to speak to the media.

The official also said that another flight SV794 carrying passengers from Riyadh will arrive at BKIA on August 30 while another flight SV795 will leave for Jeddah the same day, which will carry over 250 Hajj pilgrims.

On June 25, some unknown gunmen fired on a PIA passenger plane as it was landing at Peshawar airport, killing a woman and injuring two others, including a crewmember.

Many international airlines had suspended their services temporarily after the incident, but later resumed their operations. However, Saudi Airlines took over two months to restart its services at Peshawar’s BKIA. The air carrier will operate 17 Hajj flights from the provincial capital this season.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2014.