PIA has announced a substantial reduction in airfares for Umrah pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia. According to a spokesperson from PIA, pilgrims departing from various cities in Pakistan to Medina will benefit from discounted fares.
For travelers flying round-trip from Karachi to Medina, the fare has been lowered to Rs76,000 excluding taxes. Meanwhile, passengers from Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, and Sialkot to Medina will pay Rs86,000 for their round-trip journey.
This reduction represents a Rs34,000 decrease from the previous fare of Rs120,000. The spokesperson confirmed that these discounted fares are immediately effective and will remain available until July 15.
Earlier this year, PIA also implemented a similar discount for Saudi residents, work visa holders, and Umrah pilgrims, aiming to facilitate affordable travel during specified periods.
Regarding its financial performance, PIA reported significant revenue growth, reaching Rs186 billion for the nine months ending January to September 2023. Despite facing challenges, including a Rs75 billion loss during this period, the airline demonstrated improvement compared to the previous year.
The ongoing operation to transport Pakistani pilgrims to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme has been proceeding smoothly, with a substantial number of pilgrims already reaching Madinah and Makkah.
