KARACHI – The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) planned to start direct flights to Australia for the first time in history, a move that will cut the air travel time between the countries by around one-third.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said that initially two flights will be operated in a week, adding that the route would prove beneficial for the national career.
The flight operation is expected to be commenced in end-Mar or early April from Karachi and Lahore to Sydney at first. Later, PIA may also start flights from Islamabad.
PIA is yet to receive authorisation to operate the flights from the Australian aviation authority.
Direct flights would cut the travel time by around 13 hours as earlier passengers have to travel for 34 to 35 hours with stopovers in Doha or any other foreign city.
Reports said that PIA has finalised its plans and completed its internal work in this regard.
The new route will bring profit to the airline that faced a loss of Rs34.6 billion in the financial year 2020.
Meanwhile, PIA aims at expanding its fleet to 49 from 26 by 2026.
