‘Flight operations at Peshawar airport to resume within two days’

PESHAWAR: The flight operations, which were suspended at the Bacha Khan International Airport due to maintenance work on the taxiway, are expected to resume within the next two days, an official said on Saturday.

An official of the Civil Aviation Authority (CCA) told The News that the flight operations of Pakistan International Airlines, Shaheen Air, Emirates and Saudi Airlines, including Boeing 777 and 333, were suspended due to the routine maintenance and repair work on the taxiway on Thursday last.

He said that all the scheduled flights were diverted to the new Islamabad International Airport.

The repair work on the taxiway had been completed, the official said, adding that the flight operations of the wide-body aircraft would resume within the next two days.

The abrupt decision of the CAA to repair the taxiway caused hardships to the passengers using the airport to return home or go abroad on work permits or for performing Umrah.

“I had booked a ticket of the Emirate Airline to go to Saudi Arabia and perform Umrah,” said Imran Shehzad of Kakshal locality in Peshawar.

He said that he had purchased the ticket for Rs68,000 a few weeks ago and was scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia on Thursday last.

“I was informed at the eleventh hour that the flight has been cancelled and will now leave from Islamabad Airport on 3am the same day,” he added.

He said the concerned travel agency told him to pay Rs24,000 extra charges for his ticket.

“The travel agent said that the price of the new ticket is Rs92,000 and you have to pay the extra charges,” he informed.

He and other passengers, who also faced similar problems due to the maintenance work, asked the CAA to inform the passengers and airlines before carrying out any repair work in advance to avoid causing hardships to the passengers using the Peshawar Airport.