RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will be starting the post-Haj flight operation from today (Thursday) and introducing the ‘city check-in’ facility for pilgrims who have performed Haj under the government scheme.

According to the PIA spokesperson, under this system, pilgrims will get a boarding card and deposit their luggage and will not be required to reach the airport 12 hours before the flight departure and wait in queues.

He said the facility had been extended to the pilgrims on the direction of Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique.

He said the PIA would start its post-Haj operation from today (Thursday), with the first flight PK-732 reaching Karachi at 1am with pilgrims from Jeddah. Similarly, the second flight PK-739 will arrive in Lahore on July 14 at 2am.

Five PIA flights will reach Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Islamabad and Peshawar from Jeddah on July 14, the spokesman said, adding that the post-Haj operation would consist of 154 flights which would transport 28,080 pilgrims back to the country.

The Haj operation will continue till Aug 13, the spokesman said.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2022