The Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan, Jalal Hussain Maqpoon, has demanded a reduction in Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) airfares on Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) routes.
With the intent to promote tourism in the area, Governor Jalal Maqpoon has sent a letter to the PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Air Marshal Arshad Malik, expressing his concerns about PIA’s ‘no-discount policy’ for the GB and Skardu flights while travelers on other domestic routes can avail up to 30 percent off.
“Gilgit-Baltistan is a prominent place for tourism as it is home to the second tallest mountain K-2 and the highest altitude plain [plateau], Deosai,” he said.
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He remarked that PIA charges Rs. 16,000 for a flight from Islamabad to Gilgit and Skardu, and that the number of tourists visiting GB could increase manifold if the fares were decreased.
“The national flag carrier recently lowered its fares by 30 percent nationwide. However, no relief was announced for Gilgit and Skardu flights,” he said.
PIA recently announced an up to 30 percent cut in airfares for most of its destinations across Pakistan but excluded the GB region from the offer for unknown reasons.
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The air ticket for a direct flight from Islamabad to Karachi is cheaper than the one for Gilgit and Skardu, despite the latter two being closer to the federal capital.
People traveling between Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Faisalabad, Sialkot, and Peshawar are being charged a one-way minimum fare of Rs. 8,500 and a round-trip minimum fare of Rs. 17,000. Previously, the charges for the same were Rs. 12,275, and Rs. 24,600.
Nonetheless, travelers to and from the GB region currently have to pay between Rs.10,000 and Rs. 17,000 on shorter routes.
