Holy sojourn : Quetta Hajj flights from Aug 19

QUETTA: The Hajj operation of PIA from Quetta will start from August 19, officials of the airlines said. PIA will start lifting the pilgrims from Quetta to Jeddah and Medina from August 19 next, PIA sources told The Express Tribune. More than 8,000 pilgrims will be airlifted from Quetta to Saudi Arabia in 40 flights. Hajj pilgrims from all over Balochistan will use Quetta airport only. The biggest Hajj operations are expected at Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Peshawar airports, officials said. Furthermore, they said that PIA will be using medium-sized aircraft for the Hajj Operations due to technical reasons. The condition of the runway at the Quetta airport is said to be fit for handling a medium-sized aircraft, they added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2015.