Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national flag carrier, is set to commence its post-Hajj flight operations today, July 2.
The first flight post-Hajj will transport Hujjaj from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan today, marking the beginning of operations from July 2 until August 2.
The inaugural flight will touch down at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport at 3:35 pm today.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) successfully concluded its pre-Hajj operations, which included flights from Karachi to Jeddah, on June 23, a significant achievement in assisting pilgrims.
The pre-Hajj operations, which facilitated 61,467 pilgrims through 268 flights, served 41,000 government-sponsored pilgrims, 19,000 private pilgrims, and 600 staff members in Madina and Jeddah.
The pre-Hajj operation, which began on May 21 and lasted until June 22, provided ample opportunity for the pilgrims to plan and make travel arrangements.
Flights were operated directly from key cities such as Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Peshawar, offering convenient access to pilgrims across different regions.
During the pre-Hajj operation, PIA demonstrated remarkable punctuality, with a special rate of 94% timely departures among the 268 flights. From the total flights, a notable 249 took off on time or even slightly ahead of schedule, providing a smooth travel experience for the pilgrims.
Despite encountering delays in 19 flights during the Hajj operation due to various factors, the PIA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) praised and commended the teams for achieving an impressive rate of punctual departures.