Dubai: At least 21 more special flights will be operated from May 1 to 10 to repatriate stranded Pakistanis from the UAE.
Out of the total 21, some 15 flights will be operated by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) while six flights will be handled by the UAE — based airlines. More than 4600 passengers will be able to travel on these special flights. This is in addition to already announced five flights scheduled to take off from UAE on April 28.
Zulfiqar Bukhari, Special Assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis, advised the expatriates to avoid unnecessary travel to their country.
“ Even with increased capacity, I request our overseasPakistanis to avoid unnecessary travel and let more deserving people get a chance to travel back home on priority,” he tweeted.
He also informed people that the special flights being operated by the UAE-based airlines are not open for ticket sales as they are for a special group of passengers handled by the airlines concerned. He said stranded Pakistanis who have registered with their diomatic missions are allowed to travel only on PIA flights.
Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai has also announced that the fares to different cities to Pakistan on special flights have also been slashed following complaints from passengers.
One-way fares on PIA from Dubai/Abu Dhabi to Karachi ranges between Dh850 (K-class), Dh1550 (Y-class) to Dh1900 (P-class)
Fares from Dubai/Abu Dhabi to Multan start from Dh960 (K-class) Dh1660 (Y-class) to Dh2200 (P-class)
Fares from Dubai/Abu Dhabi to Lahore/Islamabad, Peshaware/Fasialabad have also been divided in to three category starting from Dh1,110 (k-class), Dh1660 (Y-class) to Dh2,200 (P-class).
In a statement on Sunday, the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai has also made it clear that no travel agent has been authorised to sell PIA tickets for the special flights from UAE.
The statement further reads: “Tickets can only be purchased at designated places once you receive call from the Consulate as per merit list retrieved from the online registration done with the Consulate by the stranded Pakistanis.
“Please do not visit Consulate for tickets. If anyone is charged more than given fare prices for PIA special flights, please lodge complaint with the Consulate General of Pakistan, Dubai.”
Pakistan Consul General Ahmed Amjad Ali thanked the UAE government for their continued support and cooperation in carrying out smooth repatriation operation. He specially the role of Dubai Police in assisting the Consulate. He also underscored the UAE government’s generosity towards hosting Pakistani workforce
