ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday announced expanding its flight operation to Saudi Arabia after the Kingdom relaxed coronavirus-related restrictions from December 1.
“The PIA management has started expanding air operations to Saudi Arabia as 35 flights a week will be operated from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan said in a press statement here. He said the flights would be operated to Saudi cities Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, and Al Qassim from Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Peshawar. The spokesman said some different category flights of the national flag carrier were already operating, and now “the operation will be further expanded after the easing of sanctions on December 1.”
However, he made it clear that the passengers departing from December 1 would have to comply with a five-day quarantine requirement in accordance with Saudi laws. “The decision with regard to increasing the number of flights will be taken as per the demand in the coming days.”
According to a tweet from the Saudi Press Agency, the kingdom will let indirect passengers from Pakistan, India, Brazil, Vietnam, Egypt, and Indonesia from December 1, 2021. “Travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, will no longer need to quarantine for 14 days in a third country. However, they will still need to quarantine for five days within the country after they land,” Saudi Ministry notified.
