PIA flights carrying 499 passengers permitted to fly out of Kabul airport
PIA flights carrying 499 passengers have been permitted to fly out of Kabul airport!
Two Pakistan International Airline aircraft, Boeing 777 which has 329 passengers, while the other is an Airbus 320 with 170 passengers, have been allowed to fly out of Kabul for Islamabad, Pakistan on Sunday.
Among the passengers are diplomats from Pakistan and their families, as well as other countries.
As being reported the flights with a total of 499 passengers on board, are on the way to Islamabad.
The aircraft were not allowed to use the runway to take off as the US military evacuated American diplomats.
The sources claim that there were many people without air tickets who wished to get on board the PIA flights. Eight such people were allowed passage, whereas the others were turned away.
Earlier in the day, Ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmed Khan had tweeted that the embassy is “engaged with PIA to accommodate Pakistanis on regular and additional flights”.
“Assure Pakistanis working/living in Kabul and adjoining areas that Embassy is engaged with PIA to accommodate Pakistanis on regular and additional flights. We are also assisting those who have issues with affordability. Contact the Embassy,” he tweeted.
Assure Pakistanis working/living in Kabul and adjoining areas that Embassy is engaged with PIA to accommodate Pakistanis on regular and additional flights. We are also assisting those who have issue of affordability. Contact the Embassy. @SMQureshiPTI @ForeignOfficePk @PakinAfg
— Mansoor Ahmad Khan (@ambmansoorkhan) August 15, 2021
As per the news source, two US military helicopters had been blocking the runway and over the past few hours.
Reportedly, four C-130 cargo planes, also belonging to the US military, landed for evacuations of American diplomats.
According to PIA, it will operate three more flights between Islamabad and Kabul tomorrow as well, as there is a large volume of Pakistanis and other nationals looking to leave Kabul.
