Islamabad: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will begin this year’s Hajj flight operations on May 31, airline officials announced. The Hajj travel operations would include some 291 PIA flights in the coming months.
“PIA’s flight operations will continue with 297 flights from May 31 to August 13,” Pakistan’s national flag carrier said. “Hajj flight operations will be carried out from 8 cities of Pakistan, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Multan, Peshawar and Quetta.” PIA said the Hajj flights from Pakistan would fly to Jeddah and Medina.
PIA management and Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique held a meeting this week to discuss the details of the Hajj flight operations as well as the promotion of religious tourism and expansion of the aircraft fleet.
Over 80,000 Pakistanis to perform Hajj this year
Saudi Arabia has allocated a quota of 81,132 pilgrims to Pakistan who will be able to perform the annual Hajj 2022. This is the second-highest number of pilgrims quota this year. Saudi Arabia raised the number of Hajj pilgrims from inside and outside the kingdom to one million in 2022 after two years of restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Saudi Arabia has said pilgrims from abroad must carry a recent negative COVID-19 PCR test and vaccination certificate.
