PIA resumes flights to Toronto

Published June 22, 2021
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced resumption of direct flights to Toronto, Canada. — AFP/File
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced resumption of direct flights to Toronto, Canada. — AFP/File

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced resumption of direct flights to Toronto, Canada.

A PIA spokesman said on Monday that Canadian officials had allowed PIA to resume flights to Toronto. Operations had earlier been restricted to cargo only on Pakistan to Canada routes due to surge in Covid-19 cases. However, other travel related advisories pertaining to Canada will remain in place, he said.

In the first phase, PIA will start three direct flights per week from Pakistan to Toronto. The airline will be following strict standard operating procedures (SOPs), the PIA chief executive officer (CEO) assured the Canadian government.

It is worth mentioning here that PIA has vaccinated its entire crew and ground staff against Covid-19 and now vaccination of all airline employees is underway. Its the first airline in the region to do so, the spokesman said.

PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik has instructed the airline officials to immediately start processing booking and purchase of tickets and it was expected that the first flight (Toronto to Pakistan) would operate on Sunday. Other flights from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad to Toronto will also resume.

Passengers will be required to present vaccination certificates with a negative test result prior to travel. Temporary restrictions were earlier placed by Canadian authorities due to the pandemic around the world. Passengers with old and new tickets can utilise them, subject to meeting terms and conditions of travel.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Defining extremism
Updated 18 Mar, 2024

Defining extremism

Redefining extremism may well be the first step to clamping down on advocacy for Palestine.
Climate in focus
18 Mar, 2024

Climate in focus

IN a welcome order by the Supreme Court, the new government has been tasked with providing a report on actions taken...
Growing rabies concern
18 Mar, 2024

Growing rabies concern

DOG-BITE is an old problem in Pakistan. Amid a surfeit of public health challenges, rabies now seems poised to ...
Provincial share
Updated 17 Mar, 2024

Provincial share

PPP has aptly advised Centre to worry about improving its tax collection rather than eying provinces’ share of tax revenues.
X-communication
17 Mar, 2024

X-communication

IT has now been a month since Pakistani authorities decided that the country must be cut off from one of the...
Stateless humanity
17 Mar, 2024

Stateless humanity

THE endless hostility between India and Pakistan has reduced prisoners to mere statistics. Although the two ...