First International Flight From Quetta Airport By Aug 14.

ISLAMABAD -- Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Friday directed to operationalise international flights from Quetta Airport by August 14 to facilitate overseas Pakistanis from Balochistan.

It would particularly enhance connectivity of the people of province with the Middle East, which hosted a large number of Pakistani diaspora working there, he said while chairing a meeting to finalise the pricing model of fares for airports in Balochistan for higher traffic volumes and enhanced air-connectivity of the provinces. Advisor Maritime Affairs Jawad Khokhar, Additional Secretary Planning Dawood Muhammad Bareach, secretary aviation, Balochistan chief secretary, Pakistan International Airlines chief executive officer and Civil Aviation Authority deputy director general attended the meeting.

Ahsan Iqbal said direct Hajj flights from Quetta to Jeddah would also be started, which would facilitate the pilgrims hailing from the province, who currently used the indirect routes via Karachi/ Islamabad.

The meeting was told that the PIA was operating 30 flights weekly to three cities of Balochistan. The minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed to...