ISLAMABAD – Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has temporarily suspended its flight operation to Afghanistan due to a lack of necessary facilities at Kabul airport.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez revealed it while talking to the state broadcaster. He said the flight operation will remain closed for a couple of days.
Hafeez said that the Afghan Civil Aviation Authority has been asked to resume all required facilities at Kabul airport as soon as possible so PIA could resume its operation. He said that PIA had evacuated fifteen hundred people in five flights so far from Kabul since Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan.
The spokesperson said people who were evacuated from Kabul include journalists, UN officials and Pakistanis.
On Friday, the national carrier airlifted 350 more people from Kabul to Islamabad, as part of its massive evacuation efforts to bring back those, wishing to leave the after the takeover by the Taliban.
The passengers included around 250 staff members of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and local Afghans attached with international organisations.
PIA Chief Operating Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik himself flew to Kabul on one of the two PIA flights from Islamabad to motivate the PIA crew in the humanitarian operation.
PIA evacuates another 90 passengers including foreign diplomats from Kabul
