ISLAMABAD, FEB 26: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plans to operate flights from Lahore to Tashkent by the end of March this year and permission has been sought in this regard.

CEO PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik and Chief Commercial Officer Ali Tahir Qasim and airline officials met with Ambassador of Uzbekistan in Pakistan Aybek Arif Usmanov and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan Ali Asad Gilani to seek formal permission for flights.

Both the ambassadors expressed their keenness to have air links between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, a place of mosques and shrines, while Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand have a rich Islamic culture and history.

The airline also plans to operate five flights per week to Kabul from 4th March and will also operate flights to Baku from Lahore from 14th of March. Flights to Tashkent and Bishkek are part of the airline’s network expansion plan.

PIA is planning to expand its network to Central Asian countries and increasing frequency of flights to Afghanistan.