Pakistan International Airways (PIA) on Wednesday launched the first direct flight carrying 153 passengers from Lahore to Skardu. A one-way ticket from Lahore to Skardu costs between Rs7090-Rs7500, while a flight with a layover can cost up to Rs30,371.
The passengers of the first flight were seen off from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport by PIA District Manager Abdul Muqaddam and Station Manager Ali Asghar Zaidi.
PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arshad Malik in a statement said that the national carrier is “performing its national duty to promote tourism.”
The national flag carrier had launched direct flights to the northern areas of Pakistan last month with a flight to Swat. The first flight from Lahore to Swat landed in Saidu Sharif airport on March 26 after a hiatus of 17 years. The airport had been defunct since 2004 when PIA stopped flights to Skardu.
A direct one-way flight from Lahore to Swat has a ticket priced at Rs6135.
PIA intends to operate two flights from Lahore and Islamabad in a week to the northern areas.
