- First PIA flight will land at the Madina airport.
- PIA operates Hajj flights from multiple airports.
- PIA’s Hajj operation will last till June 10.
Karachi, May 11, 2024 : Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) initiated its Hajj flight operations from Karachi on Saturday.
As per the PIA spokesperson, the Chief Operating Officer of the national flag-carrier bid farewell to the inaugural Hajj flight departing for Madina from Karachi at 3:30 am.
The spokesperson further mentioned that the airline is facilitating pilgrims with flights from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and other airports. The Hajj operation is scheduled to continue until June 10th.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs announced on May 3 that Pakistan would operate 11 special flights to transport 2,160 Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on the first day of the scheduled operation. This includes 670 passengers from Lahore via three flights, 330 from Karachi via two flights, 680 from Islamabad via three flights, 329 from Multan via two flights, and 151 from Sialkot via a single flight.
The ministry spokesperson mentioned that the month-long Hajj 2024 flight operation would commence from May 9 to June 9. During the initial 15 days, all flights are scheduled to land at the Madina airport. However, from May 24 to June 9, most flights will land at the Jeddah airport.
Following this, the ministry announced that the inaugural Hajj flight from Balochistan would depart from Quetta on May 11, followed by another from Sukkur on May 27.
“Pakistan will conduct a total of 259 Hajj special flights for over 68,000 pilgrims registered with the government scheme,” the ministry stated. The special operation is set to conclude on June 9.
Subsequently, the country will resume its flight operation on June 20 to repatriate pilgrims after the conclusion of the sacred pilgrimage.
