Daily Times

The national carrier of Pakistan, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), will resume its flight operations to the country’s scenic Swat valley after nearly 17 years, a spokesperson for the airline said on Thursday.

“PIA is going to resume its flight operations to Saidu Sharif Airport, Swat, after 17 years,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan told Daily Times. Hafeez Khan while referring to Swat’s only airport, lying close since 2004, said that the facility was being equipped to handle small ATR-70 aircraft for landing and take off. “The purpose of resuming the flight services by the national carrier after a gap of 17-years is to encourage tourism in the region as there is a huge potential,” Khan said. He said there would be two weekly flights from Lahore, with a 15-minute stopover in Islamabad, “after the brief stopover, the flight will proceed to Saidu Sharif Airport of Swat.”

The resuming of flight operation in Saidu Sharif Airport will boost the tourism said federal minister for communications Murad Saeed . he also expressed his happiness and said that this is good news for the people of Swat,” the PTI government is encouraging tourism, resuming of Saidu Sharif Airport will play an important role in it, “our efforts are bringing benefits” he added. The first flight from Islamabad will arrive on March 26 at Saidu Sharif Airport and will leave back in the evening for which tickets are booked.

In January 2019, Pakistan loosened travel restrictions in the hope of reviving tourism by offering visas on arrival to visitors from 50 countries and electronic visas to 175 nationalities.

Pakistan used to be a prominent tourist destination in the 1970s when the “hippie trail” brought Western travelers to get amused from the apricot and walnut orchards of the Swat Valley and Kashmir on their way to India and Nepal.

A 2019 Gallup report said tourist influx at cultural sites in Pakistan saw an increase of 317 percent over the last five years. The country’s tourism got a healthy boost when Prince William and Kate Middleton of Britain visited scenic and historical places during their five-day-trip to Pakistan.