Pakistan is getting ready to celebrate its 76th year of independence, and the country’s flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), has announced a special offer for its domestic passengers.
Taking to Twitter, PIA announced a 14 percent discount on all of its domestic flights scheduled for 14 August.
The airline’s spokesperson termed this offer a “heartfelt gift” from the national carrier to the people of Pakistan in honor of Independence Day.
— PIA (@Official_PIA) August 10, 2023
In another development, PIA is set to launch Skardu Airport’s first international flight from Dubai on Independence Day.
After the first flight, the airline will fly weekly from Dubai to Skardu on Saturdays and from Skardu to Dubai on Tuesdays.
The airline’s spokesperson said that the Dubai-Skardu flight will depart later for Islamabad to facilitate the passengers.
PIA launched direct flights from Karachi to Skardu in June, after having previously launched direct flights from Lahore. The first Lahore-Skardu flight took off on 3 June.
Skardu Airport is the only airport in northern Pakistan that can handle large aircraft, as the runways at Gilgit and Chitral airports are too short for long-haul flights.
In December 2021, former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, granted the status of ‘international’ to Skardu Airport, but its full potential could not be realized because it lacked a proper refueling facility for international flights.
The problem has been resolved, and the refueling facility is now slated to open tomorrow (11 August), paving the way for the airport’s first international flight.
