PIA Post Hajj flights are now operating as per schedule PIA spokesman said here on Monday while briefing media persons at Jeddah.
PIA has so far operated 46 Post Hajj flights bringing over 20,000 Hajjis back to Pakistan, the flights from Jeddah on Monday to Lahore, Karachi and Quetta arrived according to the expected time of arrival (ETA) at their respective destinations.
According to the flight statistics released from the Jeddah Airport of the 60 different airlines, released by the Saudi Civil Aviation Authorities, the departure of airlines delay from the Jeddah Haj Terminal for the first 4 days of returning Hajjis ranged from half an hour to 15 hours. He stated that of the two African airlines, the average delay was from two to 15 hours while the Shaheen Air of Pakistan operating four flights daily was behind schedule by 12 hours.
PIA Spokesman said that during the first four days of the post-Hajj operation the maximum flights operated from Jeddah Hajj Terminal are of the PIA which is operating 10 Hajj flights in a day with an average delay of three hours, followed by Indonesia Airline which is operating nine flights daily which are delayed by four hours. Other airlines are also facing delays which operate nine flights in a day with delay of one hour. The remaining airlines are operating one to three flights daily while their average delay ranges from three to four hours.
The Hajj operation of the first few days was affected due to rush and congestion of buses arrival from Makkah leading to late reporting of Hajjis at Jeddah Hajj terminal, he added
The Post-Hajj operation of PIA which started from October 31 will end on November 29 operating 196 flights during the month flying back home over 96,000 Hujjaj to Pakistan.