ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani private airline, Serene Air, on Sunday begin its operations for China, Pakistani state media reported, with the inaugural flight landing in the Chinese capital of Beijing.
The inaugural flight left from the southern port city of Karachi and reached Beijing via the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
Officials hailed the development as another milestone in the China-Pakistan friendly relations, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The launching of airline services by the private sector will not only strengthen the air bridge between Pakistan and China, but also boost investment, trade, travel and tourism,” Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan’s ambassador to China, was quoted as saying.
Pakistan and China share cordial ties and maintain a strong economic partnership, especially through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, with more than $65 billion pledged for road, rail and other infrastructure developments in the South Asian nation of 241 million people.
China has also economically supported Pakistan in times of need and both countries have backed each other’s stance on international fora on regional and global issues.
