PIA postpones scenic mountain flights due to bad weather

PIA – Pakistan International Airlines (PK, Islamabad Quaid-e-Azam Int’l) has postponed the launch of scenic flights over the mountainous northern areas of Pakistan due to adverse weather conditions. PIA, on its official Twitter feed, announced its inaugural “Sadpara Air Safari” flight from Islamabad to Skardu had been postponed from June 12 to June 19, 2021, based on a weather advisory issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department which predicted rainfall with wind and thunderstorms in the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region. Named after a prominent mountaineer, Ali Sadpara, the A320-200 operated Air Safari service will fly over the snow-capped peaks of K2/Mount Godwin Austen, Nanga Parbat, the Gasherbrum peaks, the Deosai plains, and Saif ul Maluk lake. K2 and Nanga Parbat are Pakistan’s highest mountains and are popular amongst mountaineers. K2, at 8,611 metres above sea level, is the second-highest mountain on Earth after Mount Everest. The national flag carrier had first announced plans for the Air Safari service in 2018. News reports from Pakistan said PIA had decided to suspend its northern flight operations for one week, due to the bad weather. The airline was not immediately available for comment. The Pakistan Meteorological Department in a statement on June 9 predicted rain, wind, and thunderstorms in Kashmir and the Gilgit-Baltistan region from June 11-14, 2021.