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Jeddah, November 04, 2012 (PPI-OT): As many as 18,596 Hujjaj travelled on board 44 flights in the PIA post-Hajj operation till November 3, this was stated by Shahbaz Ahmed, PIA Country Manager -Saudi Arabia,
Shahbaz said that PIA is operating 11 flights in a day from the Jeddah Hajj Terminal and these include nine Hajj flights and two scheduled flights for the returning Pakistani Hujjaj.
He informed that to date 14,637 traveled through Haj flights and the remaining through scheduled flights.
With commencement of post hajj operation on 30th October, 759 hujjaj traveled through Hajj flights and 731 through scheduled flights. On October 31, 3,410 Hujjaj travelled through Hajj flights and 910 onboard scheduled flights. On November 1st, 3,491 Hujjaj travelled through Hajj flights and 803 through scheduled flights.
The figure for November 2nd was 3,479 through Hajj flights and 1,006 through scheduled flights and on 3rd November 3,498 hajjis travelled on Hajj flights and 509 on board through scheduled flights; totaling 18,596 hajjis.
Shahbaz termed the PIA Jeddah office as a very productive one and that in the year 2011 it generated the business to the tune of 498 million riyals. The target that has been fixed for 2012 is 520 million riyal and that a sum of 300 million has been generated till October 31, 2012.
He also informed about the organizational set up of the PIA in Saudi Arabia and its significance for the national carrier.
Shahbaz said that PIA operates 15 flights in a week from Jeddah and seven of them are for Karachi, four for Lahore, three for Islamabad and one flight for Peshawar.
He said that it is under consideration that one flight from Karachi be diverted for either Multan or Faisalabad.
From Madina, PIA operates three flights in a week- two for Karachi and one for Islamabad. Nine flights in a week are from Riyadh and eight flights from Dammam.
He further pointed out that PIA’s market share for Saudi Arabia is around 46 percent.
For more information, contact:
S. Sultan Hasan
General Manager, Public Affairs
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)
Tel: +9221 9904 0000
Fax: +9221 3457 2225, 3457 0419