18 flights to bring back Pakistanis stranded in Gulf states
Over 6,000 passengers stuck abroad
The government has decided to run 18 flights to bring back Pakistanis stuck in the Gulf States starting July 6.
The Pakistan International Airlines will bring back 6,000 passengers stranded in Doha, Bahrain, Dubai and Sharjah in four days.
PIA flights are being upgraded from Airbus to Boeing 777 for this purpose, according to Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.
“Along with the upgradation of airplanes, the number of flights is being increased as well,” he said.
Here are details of the flights:
- United Arab Emirates: 10 flights to bring back 3,394 passengers between July 5 and July 16
- Doha (Qatar): Six flights to bring back 2,016 passengers between July 6 and July 18
- Bahrain: Two flights to bring back 722 passengers between July 9 and 11
The airlines aims to bring back these Pakistanis before Eidul Azha, a PIA spokesperson said, adding, “Thousands of Pakistanis are stuck abroad due to last-minute cancellation.”
Last week, four flights left for Doha and three special airplanes left for Bahrain. Two more special flights will be operated this week. Tickets for the flights are being reserved on a first-come-first-serve basis. You can visit the PIA website to book them.
Earlier this month, Pakistan decided to increase the number of direct flights from the UK, Europe, Canada, China, and Malaysia by 40%. Passengers will have to undergo a mandatory COVID test before departing for Pakistan.
