PIA announces flight operations to Saudi Arabia

According to the Baaghi TV reports, there will be special PIA flights for Saudi Arabian passengers.

PIA Spokesman stated that PIA began booking passengers after the Saudi government eased travel restrictions. The PIA’s Saudi operation was active. However, now from Pakistan, passengers will also be able to travel.

“PIA operates 23 weekly flights from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia,” said PIA Spokesman.

“Permission has also been sought for 28 more flights to Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh and Dammam by September 30. All travelers who have a Saudi resident, residence holder or visitor visa can travel to Saudi Arabia,” stated PIA Spokesman.

PIA Spokesman said that the passengers traveling to Saudi Arabia must provide a negative test for corona within 48 hours.

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Earlier, according to reports of Baaghi TV, Federal Minister for Civil Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan has submitted a written reply to the National Assembly stating that the closure of PIA co-flight operation in European sectors caused a loss of Rs. 28 crore. European sectors received revenue of Rs 1.41 billion instead of Rs 1.69 billion. The loss to PIA was from July to August 2020, with a profit of Rs 52 crore on the UK sector. Between the UK and Pakistan, the Maltese company was hired to operate the flights. PIA has so far operated four round-trip charter flights to the UK.

The written reply added that the UK sector received revenue of Rs 5.81 billion as against the cost of Rs 5.31 billion. PIA has started flights to Canada, UAE, Oman and Qatar. Flights to Malaysia, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia have also resumed.

The written reply further said that the PIA Karachi plane crash had severely damaged the company’s reputation and caused a huge drop in passengers. The cost of PIA premium will be more than Rs 5 million. The insurance company will pay the compensation to the plane and the deceased passengers.

It was further stated in the written reply that Rs. 5 lakh was paid per passenger for the flight accident from Chitral to Islamabad. He paid Rs 50 lakh per passenger to the heirs of the Chitral-Islamabad flight accident. Rs 10 lakh was paid for burial per passenger in Lahore to Karachi flight.