PIA’s first direct flight for Chengdu leaves Islamabad

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has added a new destination in China and the first direct flight carrying 209 passengers left Islamabad for Chengdu on Wednesday.

The PK-870 flight took off from the Islamabad International Airport on Wednesday morning at 8:44 am Islamabad Time with 209 passengers on board including infants and will land at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at 16:40 pm Beijing Time today, while PK-871 will depart at 7:00 pm Beijing Time on the same day and will take 111 passengers.

Muhammad Shahid told CEN that PIA is vesting its network for China and now Pakistanis have more options to directly reach different cities in China.

“Before COVID-19 PIA had only one destination for China and that was Beijing. But when the pandemic started, Beijing airport was closed to all international arrival flights. PIA immediately got approval for Xi’an city, unfortunately Xi’an was closed due to the epidemic. PIA worked hard to get new stations and this results in today’s Chengdu direct flight,” he added.

Muhammad Ahmed told CEN that this operation will not only reduce time limit but also help reduce the airfare.

“China is a very important friend of Pakistan and the largest trading partner. If China allows more stations for direct flights, it would not only bring people closer but also more trade. China should also start cargo flights to expand the bilateral trade,” he added.