Direct Peshawar-Lahore flights to begin on November 9, says K-P governor
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has announced direct flights between Peshawar and Lahore from November 9. Four flights a week will operate at first, and the journey will take about 50 minutes to one hour.
- Direct Peshawar-Lahore flights start on November 9, Youm-e-Iqbal
- Four flights a week will operate initially
- Air journey takes about 50 minutes to one hour
- Air services to Dera Ismail Khan, Dir, Chitral and Parachinar are being worked on
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has announced that a direct air service between Peshawar and Lahore will begin on November 9. The Express Tribune reported that he made the announcement on Saturday.
According to Express News, the flights will start on Youm-e-Iqbal and the route is being restored with the cooperation of South Airways. Initially, four flights per week will operate between the two cities.
The flight will take about 50 minutes to one hour, compared with the longer journey by road. Kundi said the new route would improve connectivity for residents, particularly those who travel to Lahore for business.
The governor said a direct flight from Peshawar to Quetta had already been launched. Express News reported that work is under way on possible air services to Dera Ismail Khan, Dir, Chitral and Parachinar, and Kundi said the proposed connectivity would include Dera Ismail Khan, Chitral and Parachinar.
Speaking on other matters, Kundi said the provincial government was taking steps to improve the healthcare sector and that work was under way to protect polio workers and eradicate polio. He said the province faced challenges including terrorism, and that, in his words, "Intelligence-based operations were being conducted against terrorists".
On the anti-encroachment drive, Kundi said the operation would continue, with operations planned in markets after road widening. He said separate spaces would be allocated in the city for street vendors, and that people treated unfairly during the operation would be compensated.
Kundi also said a NADRA officer had been killed in Peshawar the previous day. Police were investigating the killing.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 7 November that a senior NADRA official was shot dead outside the authority's regional office in Hayatabad, Peshawar, and that police were reviewing CCTV footage to identify the attackers.
Why it matters
Travellers between Peshawar and Lahore get an air option that, according to the governor, takes about 50 minutes to one hour. Business travellers going to Lahore are the group Kundi named as likely to benefit. With four flights a week at the start, the service will be limited at first. Residents of Dera Ismail Khan, Dir, Chitral and Parachinar may later see air links if the planned services go ahead.
