ISLAMABAD: The first international flight to depart from Pakistan’s northern Skardu city left for Dubai on Tuesday with 160 passengers, the country’s flag carrier confirmed in a statement.
The development takes place eight days after the first direct international flight from Dubai to Skardu landed in the northern city on August 14. Direct flights between the two cities would make Pakistan’s northern mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, where Skardu is located, more accessible to foreign travelers.
The Skardu International Airport was inaugurated in December 2021.
“The first international flight has departed from Skardu Airport for Dubai,” a statement from Pakistan’s flag carrier, the PIA, read. “Flight PK-211 left for Dubai with 160 passengers.”
The PIA spokesperson said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) staff at the airport handled passengers’ immigration process. It added that the passengers were satisfied with the arrangements.
Skardu is a beautiful valley, 7,000 feet above sea level, and surrounded by snow-capped mountains, pristine lakes, and lush green valleys. The region is home to a variety of wildlife, including snow leopards, ibex, and markhor.
The valley is frequented each year by hundreds of domestic tourists each year.
