The first international flight from Dubai landed at Skardu airport on Monday in what was called a “historic moment”.
The PK-234 flight took off from Dubai at 4:15am with 80 passengers on board and successfully landed at the Skardu International Airport after four hours and 30 minutes.
The flight received a water cannon welcome upon landing at the airport while passengers were presented with bouquets of flowers.
Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani termed the development “a historic moment”. In a statement issued today, he said the commencement of international flights to Skardu would open up new possibilities for travel and connect the region with the rest of the world.
“It’s a great step towards promoting tourism and enhancing the region’s connectivity,” he added.
Separately, Pakistan’s Ambassador to United Arab Emirates (UAE) Faisal Niaz Tirmizi expressed joy as the first international flight to Skardu took off from Dubai on Aug 14, Pakistan’s 76th Independence Day.
In a message, he encouraged travellers to capture and share Pakistan’s beauty through visual stories and also praised the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the GB administration for their contributions to making “this historic flight a reality”.
Ambassador Tirmizi went on to say that today marked a significant step towards promoting tourism and strengthening international connections. He added that the journey to Skardu unveiled the legendary Shangrila, making Pakistan’s beauty accessible to the world.
The Skardu airport is the only one in northern Pakistan that can accommodate larger airplanes, as the runways at both Gilgit and Chitral airports are too short for long-haul flights to land there.
