QUETTA: The national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Tuesday resumed its domestic flights to Zhob, making Zhob airport functional after a gap of three years.

The first ATR flight PK-528 carrying 36 passengers, which operated from Karachi International Airport, landed at Zhob airport on Tuesday.

Balochistan Minister for Livestock Mitha Khan Kakar, PIA general manager Balochistan Bilal Afzal, Station Manager Zhob airport Abdul Shakoor, Assistant Commissioner Zhob Rohana Kakar and other officials received the passengers.

The PIA officials said that initially two flights would operate on the Karachi-Zhob and Zhob-Karachi route on a weekly basis — every Tuesday and Friday. They said PIA had resumed the flight operations to facilitate the people of Zhob, who were running their businesses or working in Gulf states. One-way fare of Karachi-Zhob has been fixed at Rs6,500.

Earlier, the PIA ran its flights between Quetta-Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan and Peshawar.

However, later the flights were suspended for unknown reasons.

The flight that left for Karachi from Zhob airport carried 41 passengers.

On the occasion, Mr Kakar said the PIA decision would benefit people of Zhob who were doing their businesses or working in Gulf states.

He expressed the hope that PIA and other airlines would also start their flights for Quetta-Zhob-Peshawar sector.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2021