KARACHI, Jan 25: PIA operated a total of 56 flights, carrying 21,131 intending Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta till Jan 24.

The first flight had left for Saudi Arabia from Islamabad, carrying 472 pilgrims on board on Jan 16.

The PIA’s pre-Haj operation will take one month to complete on Feb 16 and so far the regularity was maintained at 100 per cent at all stations.

The airline operated eight flights from Karachi and carried 3,692 Haj pilgrims, 16 flights from Lahore and carried 7,215 pilgrims, 16 flights from Peshawar and carried 4314 pilgrims, eight flights from Quetta and carried 2136 pilgrims, and 3,774 Haj pilgrims were taken to the holy land from Islamabad.

Haj flights from all other stations, including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta started on Jan 17. PIA has pressed Boeing 747 and Air Bus-300 into Haj service.—APP