CAA proposes to divert Umrah flights from Islamabad to Lahore

[Abbas Ali]

ISLAMABAD, Oct 19 (APP): The Civial Aviation Authority (CAA), seeing the flight operation load at Islamabad airport in wake of relief and rescue operation, has proposed PIA to divert its special Umra operation to Lahore.

This proposal came up in the light of instructions from the high ups to handle the relief flights at priority basis, sources at CAA told APP on Wednesday.

They said this suggestion has been made to avoid further load at the Islamabad International which is already engaged in hectic relief and rescue operations.

At present the airport has been handling over 25 additional flights on daily basis which prior to Oct. 8 devastations was holding around 70 scheduled commercial flights.

Almost half of the relief and rescue flights are being handled at the Chaklala airbase while the rest half number of flights are being handled by Quaid-i-Azam airport, in addition to its regular commercial flights.

The Quaid-i-Azam airport and the Chaklala base are functioning through one runway where over 150 incoming and outgoing flights operate on daily basis, during the current situation.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan