PIA has announced a significant reduction in airfares for Umrah pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia. According to a spokesperson from PIA, pilgrims flying from various Pakistani cities to Medina will benefit from these discounted rates.
For round-trip flights from Karachi to Medina, the fare has been reduced to Rs76,000, excluding taxes. Meanwhile, passengers traveling from Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan, and Sialkot to Medina will pay Rs86,000 for their round-trip journey.
This price reduction marks a Rs34,000 decrease from the previous fare of Rs120,000. The spokesperson confirmed that these reduced fares are effective immediately and will remain available until July 15.
Earlier this year, PIA also offered a similar discount for Saudi residents, work visa holders, and Umrah pilgrims, aiming to make travel more affordable during specific periods.
In terms of financial performance, PIA reported significant revenue growth, reaching Rs186 billion for the nine months from January to September 2023. Despite facing challenges, including a Rs75 billion loss during this period, the airline showed 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 having reached Madinah and Makkah.