PIA to expand flight operations by launching new destinations

[Hyde]

PIA to expand flight operations by launching new destinations ​

KARACHI (April 01 2010): PIA is expanding its flight operations this year, by launching new destinations and increasing the frequency of its existing flights. PIA is pleased to announce commencement of its new weekly flight to Kuala Lumpur from Lahore/Islamabad on every Wednesday.

The airline now operates three weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur from Pakistan two flights from Karachi every Friday and Sunday and one flight from Lahore/Islamabad. Managing Director PIA, Captain Muhammad Aijaz Haroon while sharing his views on the commencement of third weekly flight to Kuala Lumpur; said that this flight meets the longstanding demand of travellers, business and expatriate community.

The National Carrier is expanding its operations to new destinations while increasing the frequency of its existing well - established routes such as Karachi- London, Karachi - Dubai and other destinations, he added. PIA's first flight for Kuala Lumpur carrying 204 passengers took off on Wednesday at 7:00 am from Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore.

Passengers of the said flight were seen off by PIA District Manager Lahore, Mansoor A Mela and other senior officials of the airline. PIA has planned twice weekly flights to Chicago, USA via Barcelona from Pakistan starting from June 2, 2010. The airline will also start direct flight to Jeddah from Sialkot on April 3, 2010, while one weekly London flight from Sialkot via Karachi has already been introduced earlier this week.

Fourth weekly flight from Karachi to London with B777 aircraft will be starting from May 10, 2010, and a third weekly flight to New York starting from May 18, 2010. PIA is now operating twice daily flights from Karachi to Dubai with both morning and evening departures for the convenience of the passengers. The airline will also operate a third weekly frequency to Oslo/ Copenhagen starting Thursday April 1, 2010. The increased flight frequencies and new destinations introduced will further facilitate passengers besides earning revenues for the national carrier.-PR

 

[sparklingway]

PIA has planned twice weekly flights to Chicago, USA via Barcelona from Pakistan starting from June 2, 2010. The airline will also start direct flight to Jeddah from Sialkot on April 3, 2010, while one weekly London flight from Sialkot via Karachi has already been introduced earlier this week.

We were sold the 777-200LR with a guarantee of non stop flights to/from the US. As far as I remember PIA was operating non stop flights to Houston and then came the pointless US requirement for a stop before landing in the US. Betrayal to say the least.

 

[Hyde]

We were sold the 777-200LR with a guarantee of non stop flights to/from the US. As far as I remember PIA was operating non stop flights to Houston and then came the pointless US requirement for a stop before landing in the US. Betrayal to say the least.

as far as i know they stopped the flights to houstan due to rising Oil prices. Usually we pay like £500 for the return ticket to Pakistan from London but those days some travel agents were asking upto £1000 - £1200 pounds and that is about 4000 Miles of journey So double that amount of fair for Houston - Lahore which is about 8000 miles.

Nobody was willing to travel those days for such a high costs and i had to travel in emergency and i hardly manged to buy a ticket for £750.

You can refer to this link for travel distances

Travel Distance Calculator and Map between World Cities

 

[Kompromat]

Not good news for me man ....damn it .

They should start coming to Australia !

 

[mshoaib61]

We were sold the 777-200LR with a guarantee of non stop flights to/from the US. As far as I remember PIA was operating non stop flights to Houston and then came the pointless US requirement for a stop before landing in the US. Betrayal to say the least.

PIA flights to houston was never direct from pakistan. They had 2 hours stop at manchester airport.
PIA stopped operating to houston because it was not profitable route.
After PIA stoped, everyone is using emirates airline , and their flights are full because they get indian pakistans, and arabic people business. ALl emirates flights goes first to dubai and from there onward to everyone destination.
I still prefer PIA over emirates.. I tried emirates twice from hosuton and both time i lost my luggage and seats are not comfortable at all. PIA service was way better than emirates and still they could not get business.

 

[mshoaib61]

My uncle who is chief engineer in pia, According to him first pia was trying to operate to houston via chicago. but i dont know why they have changed the plans again.

 

[sparklingway]

PIA flights to houston was never direct from pakistan. They had 2 hours stop at manchester airport.
PIA stopped operating to houston because it was not profitable route.
After PIA stoped, everyone is using emirates airline , and their flights are full because they get indian pakistans, and arabic people business. ALl emirates flights goes first to dubai and from there onward to everyone destination.
I still prefer PIA over emirates.. I tried emirates twice from hosuton and both time i lost my luggage and seats are not comfortable at all. PIA service was way better than emirates and still they could not get business.

I'm pretty sure there was one non stop route though. Maybe Toronto.

 

[Hyde]

I'm pretty sure there was one non stop route though. Maybe Toronto.

Yes it did.............

The other 3 Boeing 777-240 ER have a range of 11,029 KM and seating capacity of 393. PIA operated its first non-stop flight from Toronto to Pakistan on 3rd Mach 2006 with Boeing 777-240LR. The national airline which was banned by the European Commission on 5 March 2007, from operating all its fleet, excluding the Boeing 777 fleet, from flying into Europe citing safety concerns, has till to date not been permitted to operate direct non-stop Trans-Atlantic flights to USA, even after the ban by EU was partially lifted in Nov 2007. The very purpose of Boeing 777-240LR induction stands defeated by the refusal for operating direct flights from Pakistan to any destination in USA, while PIA operates direct non-stop flights to Canada.

Source: PIA unlikely to operate direct flights to US, Canada | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Good news for PIA

 

[Hyde]

Good news for PIA

Good news for us also

Now i am waiting for direct flight from Sialkot to London and London to Sialkot. A stop over in Karachi does not make sense to me

For now i am happily using both Lahore or Islamabad airports for my journey but if they have a direct flight from Sialkot, it is surely going to be beneficial for me (i live in Gujrat)

 

[ajpirzada]

Yes it did.............


Source: PIA unlikely to operate direct flights to US, Canada | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

and there goes the whole purpose of those big planes. why do these westerns try to screw us in one way or the other. would have really helped PIA if they were still having direct flights to US....

 

[SHAMK9]

Not good news for me man ....damn it .

They should start coming to Australia !

they should use their 777 300er to sydney and melboune and 777 200lr to vancouver and los angeles

 

[SHAMK9]

I'm pretty sure there was one non stop route though. Maybe Toronto.

now PIA uses 777 200lr to toronto jfk and chicago