KARACHI: The pre-Hajj operation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) concluded successfully on Monday night with the final flight departing from Karachi to Jeddah. According to a PIA spokesperson, the airline transported 35,030 Hajj pilgrims to Hijaz through 171 flights.
The spokesperson detailed that the pilgrims included approximately 19,500 individuals under the government scheme, 14,900 under private schemes, and 630 Khudam-ul-Hujaj, all traveling to Medina and Jeddah.
PIA’s pre-Hajj operation commenced on May 9 and continued until June 11. Flights departed directly from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Sialkot, and Peshawar. Pilgrims from Quetta and Sukkur traveled to Jeddah via Karachi.
Out of the 171 flights, 126 departed on or ahead of schedule, while 45 flights experienced delays due to bad weather and operational reasons. The Chief Executive Officer of PIA congratulated the teams involved in completing the pre-Hajj operation.
The post-Hajj operation is scheduled to begin on June 20 and will run until July 21, 2024.
