PIA to operate 53 special flights from next week

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) spokesman said on Wednesday that the authorities have decided to operate 53 special flights from next week to facilitate Pakistani national stranded abroad.

According to spokesman, the flights would be operated for Turkey, Jeddah, Algeria, Khartoum, Nairobi, Zurich, Amsterdam, and Oman to bring the Pakistani nationals.

The spokesman has asked the passengers who were unable to travel to Pakistan from these destinations due to suspension of flight operations amid coronavirus outbreak to contact the PIA’s call center and provide their local numbers for coordination.

The PIA management has also announced to lower its fares after the CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik took notice of the higher fares charged from overseas Pakistanis returning to the country.

Meanwhile, another PIA has tested positive for COVID-19 in Karachi. A report issued by the district officer for health has confirmed COVID-19 infection in the air-hostess.

The general manager of PIA’s health department said the air-hostess had undergone COVID19 test at the Karachi airport.

Earlier, a pilot and two air-hostesses had tested positive for COVID-19. Later, the pilot and the air-hostesses have recovered fully and have been discharged from the hospital.