KARACHI Jan 8: Cathay Pacific Airways will resume its service between Hong Kong and Karachi on Wednesday (today).

As before, all flights on the three-times-a-week return service from Hong Kong to Karachi will be routed through Bangkok.

The service had been suspended since Sept 28 due to the softening of the global economy and its impact on the airline industry.

“This is good news for our passengers and shippers. The re- establishment of direct air links between Karachi, Bangkok and Hong Kong will certainly help to further develop both tourism and commerce between Thailand, Hong Kong, China and beyond”, said Happy Minwalla, Cathay Pacific’s General Manager for Pakistan.

Happy said Cathay had tremendous confidence in Pakistan and Karachi would be the permanent feature of its service in the next decade and more.

“We are the first Far Eastern carrier to resume operation from Karachi linking Cathay’s 50 destinations behind Hong Kong and also to China which is a major partner of Pakistan”.

To another question, he said that with the ban on the PIA’s overflying Indian air space, Cathay had offered the PIA to carry its passengers to Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore. He said an agreement reached with the PIA in this regard would be valid till June.

He told a questioner that the PIA had extended the leasing period of the five Boeings it acquired from Cathay.—APP