ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced a significant 40% reduction in airfares for passengers travelling from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, which provides financial relief to thousands of travellers who use the popular Middle East flight routes.
The discounted fares will take effect for all Riyadh and Dammam flights that operate to these two destinations, according to a PIA spokesperson. The airline said the move is aimed at providing passenger assistance because international travel prices continue to rise, while Gulf routes experience increasing demand from overseas workers, business travellers, and religious pilgrims who travel for Umrah throughout the year.
Officials noted that a large volume of Pakistani passengers regularly travel to Saudi Arabia, which makes these routes important for the national carrier’s international flight network.
The fare reduction will deliver financial assistance to middle-income travellers by making travel more affordable for them. The internal operations of PIA have entered a phase of restructuring, which runs parallel to the airline’s current activities.
The airline made a decision to move its Finance and Supply Chain departments from Karachi to Islamabad, which represents an administrative reorganization.
Earlier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had decided to suspend its flight operations in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, and Gulf countries over recent hikes in jet fuel prices, the airline said on Monday.
In a statement on Monday, the national flag carrier said it is suspending flights to Gulf countries, except Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, till the end of April. The UAE operation has been limited to 16 weekly flights.
While flights to Beijing and Kuala Lumpur will be suspended from April 11 and 14, respectively.
According to a spokesperson, a high-level meeting was held in which a plan was drawn up to address the rising jet fuel prices and potential losses in the organization.
“PIA management has taken the decision in the context of the fourth increase in expensive jet fuel,” the airline said.
The PIA spokesperson said that the management emphasised that the entire burden of fuel prices cannot be put on the passengers, so some strict administrative decisions have been taken.
“It is hoped that prices at the international level will soon return to normal levels, after which all affected routes will be restored,” the statement said.
Last week, jet fuel averaged at $195 a barrel, according to the International Airport Transport Association, more than double the average last year. On Friday, the jet fuel price in Pakistan was increased by Rs40 ($0.14), taking it to Rs517.17 ($1.86) per liter, local media reported, citing aviation sources.
