ISLAMABAD – Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday allowed to operate direct flights to the United States for repatriation of stranded Pakistanis.
The United States Department of Transportation issued permission after CEO PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik sent a letter to the US ambassador requesting him to allow the PIA for operating the flights. It is for the first time in the history that the PIA will operate direct flights to the US.
As per the permission, the national carrier can operate 12 direct flights over a month-long period.
Number of Pakistanis are stranded in the US and other countries since the coronavirus outbreak that pushed the countries to suspend flight operations and closed the borders in order to stem the spread of the infections.
The coronavirus cases topped tragic mark of one million while over 60,000 people have lost their lives.
