The Hindu : India-Pakistan air links resume

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 02, 2004

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India-Pakistan air links resume

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JAN. 1. The landing of a Pakistan International Airlines flight from Lahore at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here this evening marked the resumption of air links between India and Pakistan, which were snapped in January 2002 after Pakistan-based terrorists attacked Parliament on December 13, 2001.

Carrying 40 passengers, mostly businessmen and those having relatives in India, the 118-seater PIA Boeing 737 landed at the airport at 4 p.m. and left on its return journey at 5-20 p.m. with 116 passengers, mostly Indian mediapersons going to cover the 12th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Islamabad from January 4 to 6.

The Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner, Munawar Bhatti, and senior officials of the PIA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation received the flight at the airport and welcomed the passengers.

Starting January 9, Indian Airlines will be operating biweekly flights on the Delhi-Lahore-Delhi sector on Mondays and Fridays. It has also decided to fly twice a week on the Mumbai-Karachi-Mumbai route, clearance for which is awaited from Pakistan. Significantly, Indian Airlines has also decided to operate two special Airbus 320 flights between Delhi and Islamabad on January 2 and 7.

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