Pakistan to operate two chartered flights on May 10, 13 to repatriate citizens stranded in US

ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan would operate two chartered flights on May 10 and May 13 to repatriate citizens stranded in the United States due to the coronavirus lockdown, according to statements issued Thursday by the Press Information Department (PID) and the Pakistani embassy in Washington.

The two special flights — in collaboration with the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) — would operate from Washington to Islamabad on May 10 and to Karachi on May 13. A third Lahore-bound flight from the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey was also on schedule but its date would be announced later.

In addition, the government would also operate three more flights from the US for the repatriation of Pakistani citizens. The details — including dates, cities of origin, and destinations in Pakistan — would be announced in due course of time, the embassy said.

Stranded Pakistanis who were already registered with the embassy and its consulates would be contacted to facilitate their travel by special flights.

For flight related details, they may contact PIA Contact Centre at +92-21-111-786-786.

Earlier, a PIA spokesperson had said the first flight to bring back Pakistanis stuck in the US amid the coronavirus pandemic had been scheduled for May 12. It would become the first flight in Pakistan's history to travel to the US non-stop and would be 14.5 hours long, the spokesperson had added.

The plane would take off from the federal capital without any passengers, according to the spokesperson, who had added that 12 flights in total have been scheduled for this purpose — to repatriate Pakistanis stranded in the US as the pandemic worsens.

According to sources in the PIA, fare for the special flight would be around $2,000.