RAWALPINDI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will resume ATR flight operation to Saidu Sharif (Swat) from Islamabad on March 26 (tomorrow) after a gap of 17 years.

The Saidu Sharif airport had been non-operational since 2014 after the national flag carrier ceased to operate commercial flights to this destination.

After removing initial reservations, the first flight will now depart from Lahore via Islamabad for Saidu Sharif on Friday morning, a PIA spokesman said.

He said the ATR flight would depart from Lahore at 8a.m. and later from Islamabad at 9:50a.m. The return flight will depart from Saidu Sharif at 5p.m. on Friday.

The spokesman said that the PIA will operate two weekly flights on Friday and Monday to promote tourism.

The PIA had stopped flight operations for Saidu Sharif in 2004, he confirmed.

It will be the fourth tourist destination after Skardu, Gilgit and Chitral.

The PIA management had requested the Civil Aviation Authority to make all necessary arrangements and also mobilise the ATC, ASF and other required teams to make the resumption of the flight operation successful.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2021