After a five-year gap, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed direct flights from Islamabad to Mashhad, Iran, Daily Times reported. The first flight, PK-119, arrived in Mashhad early Thursday morning, allowing pilgrims to explore Iran’s sacred sites. Flights to Mashhad, according to PIA CEO Arshad Malik, have been created to assist pilgrims travelling to Iran, since it has been a long-standing demand of devotees. The reintroduction of PIA flights was part of the airline’s ambition to expand its flying capacity to Najaf, Baghdad, and Damascus. He said PIA had the credit to take pilgrims to their sacred places. Mashhad International Airport (Shahid Hashemi Nejad) is the 2nd busiest airport in Iran after Tehran airport. It is the doorway to the 2nd most popular city in Iran and home to religious sites mostly for pilgrimages.