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| First international flight from Dubai lands at Skardu airport |
A big moment happened on Monday when the first international flight from Dubai landed at Skardu airport. The flight called PK-234 left Dubai at 4:15 am with 79 passengers and reached Skardu International Airport after flying for four hours and 30 minutes.
When the plane landed, it got a special welcome with water cannons, and passengers received beautiful flower bouquets. The Chief Secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan, Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani, said this was a very important event. He said that having international flights coming to Skardu would make it easier for people to travel and connect our area with the rest of the world.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, was really happy about this flight. It was a special day because it was Pakistan’s 77th Independence Day. Tirmizi told travelers to take pictures and share the beauty of Pakistan with others. He thanked the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the GB administration for helping to make this flight happen.
Ambassador Tirmizi said that this is a step toward making tourism better and connecting with other countries. He said that now, the world can see how beautiful Pakistan is. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said this was a very important day because the airport is very high up at 7,500 feet above sea level.
The CAA also said this would help more people visit and that it's good for the local economy. Skardu airport is the only big airport in northern Pakistan that can take larger airplanes.
Before, in December 2021, the old Prime Minister Imran Khan said it's an international airport. But planes couldn't fly to other countries because they couldn't get enough fuel there. But now, they've fixed that, and the new facility started on August 11.
At first, planes flying from other countries will follow special rules called Visual Flight Rules (VFR). These rules say that planes can only fly when the weather is nice and clear. If it's cloudy or bad weather, they can't fly. Last month, 12 airplanes flew from Skardu to different big cities in Pakistan, and more people are coming to visit.
