For the first time in the country’s history, the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), will start direct flights to Sydney from April 22.
Initially, one flight will be operated between Lahore and Sydney and later it will be increased to two flights.
In a tweet, PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik said that held meaningful and productive interaction with Australian Deputy High Commissioner Joanne Frederiksen in Islamabad on commencing PIA flights to Sydney.
The PIA chief executive said that flights shall commence from 22 Apr from Lahore. He said that he lauded her excellency’s support for the direct flights.
While commenting on the direct flights, Air Marshal Arshad Malik further said that the direct service will be unmatchable with lunch in Australia and dinner in Pakistan.
Air Marshal Malik also thanked Frederiksen for her efforts and the Australian government’s support in this regard.
The state airline’s two weekly flights to Australia would cut the current travel time between the two countries by 30 per cent. Currently, it takes passengers 34 to 35 hours to travel to and from Pakistan to Australia with some stopovers. Through direct flights, the travel time would be reduced to 12.5 to 13 hours.
According to media reports, earlier, an international aviation firm, IATA Consultancy presented a business plan for PIA, envisaging the loss-making state-owned enterprise make record 3.4 per cent profits the next year.
The comprehensive business plan covers the period from 2022 to 2026.
The implementation of the plan would see PIA assets going up from the current $1.196 billion to $2.183 billion by 2026. The PIA reported a loss of Rs34.6 billion in the financial year 2020.
The PIA’s fleet is expected to grow from the current 29 to 49 by 2026, comprising 16 wide body, 27 narrow body and 6 turbo propeller aircraft.
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