PIA began its operation to bring Hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia.

The special Hajj flights began on Saturday (August 17) and will end on September 14.

According to the details, PIA’s first post-Hajj flight PK-8702 with 166 pilgrims on board landed at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi today.

The flight was departed from Jeddah airport.

The Hujjaj were given a warm welcome upon arrival at the airport by the officials of Ministry of Religious Affairs and PIA.

Earlier in the day, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony’s spokesperson had said that three airlines including PIA would participate in the flight operation in 10 cities including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Sukkur and Sialkot.

The ministry had offered optimum facilities to pilgrims during their stay in Saudi Arabia. A total of 187 ministry officials, 469 medical mission, 545 Pakistan Muavineen-e-Hujjaj belonging to Police and Scouts and 900 local Muavineen-e-Hujjaj were deployed to facilitate the pilgrims during hajj-2019.

Forty-six flights will operate between Saudi Arabia and Islamabad, transporting 13,171 pilgrims.

Another 19,745 pilgrims will be brought back to Karachi via 62 flights and 15,500 pilgrims will arrive in Lahore.

PIA flights will bring 10,500 pilgrims back to Peshawar and another 4,358 pilgrims will arrive in Sukkur.

Fifty-six flights will bring 8,030 pilgrims to Quetta and 5,000 will be brought back to Multan and 1,549 to Faisalabad.

Hajj began on August 9.