DOHA: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has made special arrangements to fly any Pakistani expatriate in Qatar whose family has been affected by the killer quake, Mohammad Shafique, the airline's manager, said here last night. Such passengers, he said, would be routed via the airline's hub, Karachi or regional stations, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to reach Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar, since PIA will operate several special flights to the affected areas, he added.

Shafique told The Peninsula that these arrangements were made following a directive from the airline's head office in Karachi, to offer all assistance to affected Pakistani expatriates in Qatar. Till yesterday evening, there was no sudden spurt in the demand for seats to Islamabad and Peshawar.

However, this demand, Shafique said, could rise as the situation in the affected areas of the country becomes clearer. PIA has one flight departing for Karachi later today and seats would be offered on a priority basis to any Pakistanis whose kin back home are affected.

Source: The Peninsula

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PIA offers to carry relief material for free


Pakistani expatriates crowd PIA's reservations and ticketing offices in Doha to buy tickets to fly to Peshawar and Islamabad - Copyright 'The Peninsula'

DOHA: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has offered to carry for free relief material to the quake-hit parts of Pakistan, Mohammad Shafique, the airline's manager, said here yesterday. Private carrier Aero Asia has also increased its seat capacity by five per cent on its Peshawar-bound flight departing Doha tonight and offered free carriage on this service for deserving passengers.

Speaking to The Peninsula, Shafique said PIA's Wednesday flight to Peshawar and Friday flight to Islamabad were heavily booked by those whose families reside in the quake-hit areas. “We are giving very high priority to such passengers,” he noted, adding the Pakistani national carrier's flights from the UAE were also heavily overbooked. Some six Pakistanis whose families in the quake hit areas were affected, left on PIA's flight to Karachi yesterday evening.

Jamal Faik, Country Manager, Aero Asia, said his airline had increased its seat capacity from Doha to Peshawar by five per cent for tonight's flight. These seats, he said, would be specially reserved for passengers whose families back home are affected and would be sold at discounted rates or offered free, if merited. The demand for seats on Aero Asia's twice weekly service between Doha and Peshawar, he said, had also soared as a large number of people from the affected region are trying to fly home.

PIA will, however, not offer any special, discounted fares. PIA can augment its seat capacity temporarily if justified by a demand. He estimated some 70 per cent of Pakistani expatriates hail from the worst hit North West Frontier Province (NWFP), with a few from Islamabad and its surrounding areas and even fewer from Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

The official said demand for seats from Doha to Peshawar and Islamabad could increase within a couple of days as the extent of the devastation becomes clear. “People are anxiously awaiting how they can reach the affected areas as the roads there were obliterated by the quake. Once the situation is clearer, people from the area might opt to fly there," he added.

Source: The Peninsula

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PIA employees donate two days salary to President's Relief Fund

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced that all the employees have volunteered to contribute two days of their monthly salary to the "President's Relief Fund for Earthquake Victims - 2005". The Chairman PIA Tariq Kirmani is personally monitoring the relief efforts of the flag carrier of Pakistan.

Source: The News

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Its on the official website aswell, there is blue text at the bottom informing passengers....

www.piac.com.pk

Check for the blue colour text

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The National Calamity

Karachi, Sunday, October 9, 2005

Responding to the national calamity, PIA, the flag carrier of Pakistan, has decided to help in which ever way it can to alleviate the sufferings of the victims of this great national disaster. Chairman PIA, Tariq Kirmani is personally monitoring the relief effort of PIA.

All PIA employees have also decided to contribute two days of their monthly salaries to the Presidents' Relief Fund. In addition PIA has also offered to carry relief goods from all its stations in its global network, free of charge. PIA is already operating extra flights to facilitate the travel of the near and dear ones of this great tragedy, to the venue of the natural disaster.

Additionally, PIA Boy Scouts have rushed to provide help at the scene of the calamity from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.



SOURCE: PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT, PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES

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PIA operating Special flights for Gilgit

ISLAMABAD, Oct 10 (APP): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is operating one special flight for Gilgit in addition of schedule flight on daily basis to facilitate the people of the area during the current crisis.

An official of PIA while talking to APP said that the management has decided to operate one extra flight daily for Gilgit to bring back the people and tourists stranded there due to damage to Karakorum Highway by the earthquake. Number of people has been stranded there and there is no land route connection for traffic for the people who are in the Gilgit and the adjoining areas.

The Highway has been closed for indefinite period because the earthquake has even washed away the highway from various parts near Patan and Chilas and other adjacent areas.

The official stated that on Sunday and Monday two special flights were operated by PIA on each day besides one schedule flight. He said there is one flight daily in a week except one day when two flights operated as a schedule flights.

The special Fokker aircraft flights will continue till the evacuation of the people from there. However, when pressure from passengers becomes normal, the special flights will be closed, he informed.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan

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PIA flight leaves with relief material

DOHA: The first consignment of relief material consisting of about half a ton of medical supplies, blankets and tents, departed last night on the Peshawar-bound flight of Pakistan International Airlines.

Mohammad Shafique, Country Manager, PIA, said the material was sent to the airline by the Pakistan embassy in Doha. The embassy has been receiving donations of relief material including blankets, medical supplies, clothes and food, among others, from members of the Pakistani community and other donors.

Several Pakistanis were also approaching PIA's offices to make donations of various kinds of materials.

They are being redirected to the embassy, which is open round-the-clock to accept such contributions. Yesterday evening, a member of expatriates from the North West Frontier Province approached PIA with a donation of some 50 blankets.

Meanwhile, some 30 Pakistani expatriates from the NWFP and Kashmir – which bore brunt of the killer earthquake – had already travelled to Pakistan on PIA's flights since early this week, Shafique, said.

He said there was no sudden spurt in the number of passengers flying to destinations served from Doha by the Pakistani national carrier, such as Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar.

PIA, he said, had made arrangements out of Doha to cater to the rush anticipated after the quake.

Source; The Peninsula

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