November 20, 2003	Thursday	Ramazan 24, 1424

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KARACHI, Nov 19: Pakistan International Airlines would resume flights to the Central Asian Republics of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan from December 16.

The national carrier would add two new international destinations on its operations by starting flights to Glasgow (Scotland) and Houston (United States) from April and June, 2004, respectively, said PIA Director Marketing Kamran Hassan.

Talking to PPI, he said the flights to Tashkent and Almaty, capitals of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, would be operated once-a-week from Karachi via Islamabad.

He said PIA’s Haj operation involving the airlift of 1.20 lakh pilgrims to the holy land and back would begin with the first Haj flight leaving on Dec 26.

During the pre and post-Haj operation, the airline would operate a total of 430 special flights from Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta to Jeddah and back on its aircraft, he stated.

Kamran Hassan said in addition, the national carrier had taken on lease two Boeing 747s from Orient Thai private airline to operate Haj flights.

He also stated that PIA was scheduled to receive delivery of the first state-of-the-art new Boeing 777 in January 2004, which it had purchased from the Boeing Company.

The second new Boeing is due for delivery in February next year.