PIA first Hajj flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia will leave on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 from Peshawar PK 2601 (ETD) 15:30 hours and Islamabad PK 2501 (ETD) 18:10 hours, PIA spokesman said here on Monday. Every endeavour will be made to ensure the Expected Time of Departure (ETD) except for unforeseen reasons or weather conditions may constrain PIA to change the scheduled timings and inform the passengers in advance regarding the changes, the spokesman added.
Hajj flight from Islamabad will be seen off by Deputy Managing Director PIA, Captain Junaid Younus. While from Peshawar, Director Corporate Services, Mamoon Rashid will bid farewell to the pilgrims. Both the flights will carry 832 pilgrims on the first day of the PIA Pre-Hajj Operation 2012.
Similarly, on September 20, the first Hajj flights from Lahore, Quetta and Karachi will leave for Jeddah. Flight PK 2401 (ETD) 07:10 hours from Lahore will be seen off by Deputy Managing Director Engineering, Air Vice Marshal Qasim Masood Khan; PK 2801 (ETD) 10:00 hours from Quetta will be seen off by General Manager Passenger Handling Services, Saeed Khan; PK 2001 will leave Karachi (ETD) 14:30 hours. About 1,335 pilgrims will be flown through these three flights. While, the first flight from Multan and Sialkot will leave on 27th September and 1st October 2012 respectively.
During Pre-Hajj operations 2012 daily eight to ten flights will operate carrying about 3,500 pilgrims to Jeddah from seven stations until 20th October 2012. According to initial estimates, the National Flag Carrier will be carrying 95,000 intending pilgrims to the holy land through 204 Hajj flights to Jeddah and 04 flights to Madinah. The Pre-Hajj operation 2012 will conclude on 20th October 2012.-PR