PIA arrange four jumbos to fly back Umrah pilgrims

KARACHI: As strike by workers crippled flight operations of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national flag carrier arranged four Boeing 747 jumbo planes to bring back 2,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims from Jeddah.

According to PIA spokesman, an agreement in this regard has been made with Saudi Airlines. These jumbos would fly on Friday and bring passengers to Karachi and Islamabad.

The spokesman said that on their way back to Saudi Arabia these planes would carry the same number of pilgrims back to Jeddah for Umrah.

These passengers, having confirmed PIA tickets, are being provided hotel accommodation by PIA at Jeddah as well as at various cities in Pakistan.

As its back up plan, in prevalent situation, PIA is also in final stages of negotiations with Etihad Airways and Turkish Airlines to facilitate passengers going to and coming from Europe, America and Canada, the spokesman added.

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M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.