BAHAWALPUR: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to resume flight operations from Bahawalpur to Karachi from April 8.

PIA Bahawalpur station head Mansoor Lodhi told this correspondent on Friday that the administration had for now decided to introduce two flights – one each on Monday and Thursday -- on the Karachi-Bahawalpur-Karachi route and the first flight will land here on April 8. The flight departing at 12:40pm from Karachi airport will land at Bahawalpur airport at 2:30pm. The one-side fare between Bahawalpur and Karachi has been set at Rs8,515 per passenger.

According to Mr Lodhi, the PIA will operate a 48-seat ATR aircraft on this route, adding that strict observance of Covid-19 standard operating procedures would be ensured during the flights as announced by the government.

The PIA decided to resume the flight after the persistent demand of local businessmen and traders for over nine months since the flights from other airports had been started. The airlines had discontinued the flight operations from Bahawalpur in March 2020 after emergence of Covid-19 cases in the country.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2021