ISLAMABAD, May 20: The PIA’s inaugural flight would leave here on Tuesday for Kabul.

The flight would also carry an official delegation led by Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Awais Ghani. The air service between Pakistan and Afghanistan was resumed on May 12 when an Afghan Ariana Airline plane landed at Islamabad airport to mark the resumption of commercial flights between the two nations after a 23-year break.

The agreement to resume commercial flights was reached here earlier this month during talks between Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and his Afghan counterpart Hedayat Amin Arsala.

Both the airlines would operate once-a-week flight each that will return the same day to their respective originating station.

The PIA has been appointed as Ariana’s General Sales Agent (GSA) for Pakistan.

Similarly, Ariana will act as GSA for PIA in Afghanistan besides providing ground handling services at Kabul airport. The national flag carrier plans to expand its operations from Peshawar to Kabul and from Quetta to Kandahar, depending on the requirement of passengers.—APP