To celebrate Pakistan’s 76th Independence Day, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will start flying from Skardu Airport to Dubai on August 14, 2023. This exciting news comes after the Chief Secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan, Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani, confirmed that the first international flight will land at Skardu Airport on that day.
After the first flight, PIA will have a weekly schedule for trips between Dubai and Skardu. Flights will leave Dubai on Saturday, August 19, and return from Skardu to Dubai on Tuesday, August 22. PIA is also planning to extend this route to include Islamabad, making it more convenient for travelers.
Before this, PIA had launched flights directly connecting Karachi and Skardu in June. They also started flights from Lahore to Skardu on June 3rd.
Skardu Airport is special because it’s the only airport in northern Pakistan that can handle big planes. This is because the runways at Gilgit and Chitral airports are too short for long-distance flights.
In December 2021, the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, decided that Skardu Airport could be used for international flights. But there was a problem – they didn’t have a way to refuel planes for international journeys. Now, that problem has been solved, and the refueling facility will open on August 11. This is a big step toward having Skardu Airport’s first international flight.
Lately, things have been improving. Twelve Airbus A320 flights have connected Skardu to important cities in Pakistan. This shows that more people are visiting this beautiful area.
