KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airline (PIA), the country’s national flag carrier, has resumed direct flights to Iran after a five-year gap to develop people-to-people contacts and boost the local tourism industry.

PIA Spokesperson Abdullah Khan told Iran’s state news agency, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that the first PIA flight departed from Lahore to Mashhad on the night of December 29, while direct flights from Karachi to Mashhad will begin on January 1 next year.

Read more: PIA resumes Swat’s Saidu Sharif flight operation after 17 years

In a tweet, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that the two countries had agreed to promote air cooperation, Radio Pakistan reported.

The first PIA flight to Swat in 17 years landed in the valley on March 26 earlier this year.

According to the details, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and aviation minister had also made the journey aboard the flight to mark the historic voyage. A total of 47 passengers had travelled to the valley.

The national flag carrier was scheduled to operate two flights from Lahore and Islamabad in a week. The first flight had left for Saidu Sharif from Islamabad on March 26.

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The Saidu Sharif airport had been non-operational since 2004 after the PIA ceased to operate commercial flights to this destination.

The airport was established in 1978, and it used to handle two flights a day from Islamabad and Peshawar.