More flights home for Pakistani expats in Oman

Muscat: More than 250,000 Pakistani expatriates in Oman will now have more options to fly to Islamabad, the country’s capital, as Shaheen Air International has stepped up the frequency of its flights to Islamabad from weekly to bi-weekly, effective September 17.
Flight NL778/ISB-MCT will leave Islamabad every Sunday and Tuesday at 6:15 am and arrive in Muscat at 8:30 am and Flight NL779/MCT-ISB shall depart from Muscat every Sunday and Tuesday at 1 am and arrive in Islamabad at 5 am.
“Expanding operations on the Oman-Pakistan route is in line with Shaheen Air’s growth strategy outlined for Oman,” Huzaifa Halai, manager, Oman Shaheen Air, told the Times of Oman on Monday.
Big demand
There is an overwhelming demand for travel between Oman and Pakistan due to the presence of a large Pakistani community in the Sultanate and the existence of strong relations between the two countries.
Shaheen Air International currently operates seven flights every week between Muscat and Pakistan, covering Lahore, Sialkot, Peshawar and Islamabad.
National Travel and Tourism is the general sales agent of Shaheen Air in Oman and its office is located in Wattayah.
PIA to operate extra flight to Islamabad
Anticipating a great rush in view of the upcoming Eid Al Adha holidays, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has introduced an extra flight to Islamabad to help customers rejoin their families back home on the special occasion.
“PIA will be operating an extra flight to Islamabad for all its passengers from Muscat, departing at 6 pm on Thursday, September 8. Passengers must book instantly to avoid disappointment,” said Shahzad Paracha, PIA’s country manager, Oman.
“We have also made arrangements for a higher capacity flight to Islamabad and a Boeing 777, with a capacity of 330 seats will be flying to the Pakistani capital on September 10,” added Paracha. PIA operates a total of five weekly flights to Islamabad and these additional flights will help the airline in dealing with the Eid rush. With a plethora of smart moves, PIA sales in Oman have picked up considerably over the last two years.