KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) initiated its Hajj flight operations from Karachi, marking the beginning of the transportation of pilgrims to Mecca.
The first flight, PK 773, departed from Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport at 4:50 am, carrying 316 pilgrims destined for Medina.
The flight operations for the pilgrimage, aiming to transport a total of 65,000 pilgrims, will continue from May 21 to June 22. The return flights to Pakistan are scheduled between July 2 and August 2.
In addition to Karachi, PIA will operate flights from various cities, including Lahore, Islamabad, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Rahim Yar Khan, and Quetta. The airline will utilize Boeing 777 and Airbus 320 aircraft for the transportation process.
Simultaneously, SereneAir also launched its Hajj flight with 279 passengers on board, departing from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport at 5:00 am.
The airport made special arrangements for the pilgrims, and a ceremonial event took place, graced by the presence of the adviser to the prime minister on religious affairs, Shabbir Ahmad Usmani.
This year, a total of 81,230 individuals from Pakistan are expected to perform Hajj. PIA will transport 40,700 pilgrims, Saudia Airlines will accommodate 36,000, Airblue will handle 2,250, and SereneAir will transport 2,280 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia as part of the arrangements.
