ISLAMABAD: Most airlines from Arab and Gulf countries have decided to suspend their flight operations to and from Pakistan’s city of Peshawar due to poor security arrangement.
Area managers or senior officials of Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Emirates, Gulf Air, Royal Jordanian Airlines had initially suspended their flights to Peshawar in August last when the airport was targeted by terrorists.
Peshawar Airport is located in between Peshawar city and Tribal Agency of Khyber. The Pakistan Air Force also maintains one of its main bases at Peshawar Airport.
An official of Civil Aviation told Arab News here, “We are making every effort to clear militants from the outskirts of Peshawar to make the airport safe.”
Thousands of civilians have fled from Bara, Nawan Kili and Badhaber after the Frontier Corps launched the latest military operation against insurgents in the tribal region. Pakistan is under intense US pressure to crack down on insurgents along its border with Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s national airline PIA and the Civil Aviation department will be hoping to improve the security near and around the airport in order to get the Arab countries to resume their operations from Peshawar, especially with Haj round the corner.
Peshawar Airport caters to a large number of travelers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries both from Pakistan and Afghanistan.
A PIA official told Arab News, “Saudia shares the major burden of Pakistan’s Haj flight operations.
This year we will have to hire wide-bodied aircraft on ‘wet-lease’ basis for Haj operations.”
