Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has successfully concluded the first phase of its pre-Hajj operations with the final flight from Karachi to Jeddah on early Tuesday, as confirmed by the PIA spokesperson. A total of 171 flights carried 35,030 pilgrims to the holy land. This included approximately 19,500 government-sponsored pilgrims, 14,900 private pilgrims, and 630 support staff who were transported to Madinah and Jeddah. The pre-Hajj flight operations commenced on May 9 and continued until June 11. Direct flights were operated from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Sialkot, and Peshawar. Pilgrims from Sukkur and Quetta traveled to Jeddah via connecting flights through Karachi.
Out of the 171 flights, 126 departed ahead of schedule, demonstrating PIA’s commitment to timely operations. However, 45 flights experienced delays due to weather conditions and operational reasons. Upon the successful completion of the pre-Hajj operations, PIA’s Chief Executive Officer lauded the efforts of the involved teams. PIA’s post-Hajj operations are scheduled to commence on June 20 and will continue until July 21, as stated by the PIA spokesperson.
