PIA increases number of domestic flights

KARACHI: After being banned by Europe and some countries over pilots’ licence issue, the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has increased its number of domestic flights in major cities.
In order to restore the routine flight operations, the PIA decided to increase flights to domestic destinations. It is decided to run two flights between Islamabad and Karachi, as well as a daily flight between Lahore and Karachi, said the PIA spokesman in a statement on Sunday.
The spokesperson said that return flights will be scheduled between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The statement also read that the national carrier’s special flights are continued in Saudi Arabia, central Asian states and Iraq.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had allowed the national flag-carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), to operate more domestic flights in a decision announced on May 20.
It is important to mention here Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) could suffer a loss of Rs33 billion as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and some countries have suspended the PIA flights for six months.
The decision to suspend flight operations of the national flag carrier by the United States, the UK and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) came after it emerged that over 200 pilots in the country possess dubious licenses.
The PIA operated 23 flights to the UK in a week before the ban which included 10 flights to London, nine to Manchester and four to Birmingham. The national flag carrier operated six flights to Paris, Milan, Barcelona and Copenhagen in Europe.
The national flag carrier would also suffer losses of up to Rs12 billion in terms of Hajj operations this year after the Saudi authorities decided to hold the annual pilgrimage on a limited scale. – TLTP