PIA suffers Rs2b loss over suspension of Umrah flights

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has suffered a loss of Rs2 billion following suspension of flights to Saudi Arabia after a temporary ban on Umrah due to coronavirus.

The PIA officials told media on Tuesday that the schedule of the airlines has been badly disturbed as tickets of 50,000 passengers have been cancelled so far.

The authorities said that 34 flights to Madinah and 13 to Makkah are scheduled weekly for business visa and iqama holders despite fewer passengers.

Furthermore, the financial loss is expected to surge due to suspension of flight operation for Qatar and Iran.