Staff Report

Finally, special flights for Pakistan started on Tuesday (April 14) as the Dubai-based flydubai is operating two special flights from Dubai to Faisalabad and Peshawar on Tuesday to repatriate Pakistani prisoners released from the UAE jails recently.

Today’s special flights will carry Pakistani prisoners who were released from UAE jails recently and most of them were involved in petty crimes or have completed their prison term, according to sources.

The flydubai special flight from Dubai to Faisalabad will take off at 5pm arriving at Faisalabad International Airport at 8.30pm local time in Pakistan. The return flight will take off at 9.30pm arriving at Dubai International Airport at 22.50pm.

Sources said that all tickets for the prisoners were paid by the UAE authorities concerned and there are no other regular passengers on this flight. The return flight will also carry 11 members of the UAE Embassy staff.

According to a letter issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority: “The UAE government through flydubai has requested permission to operate a flight between Dubai and Faisalabad on April 14 to transport 180 stranded Pakistani nationals to Faisalabad and on return to transport 11 UAE Embassy staff.

“The request to flydubai to operate the requested flight between Dubai and Faisalabad has been approved by the competent authority.

“The permission is subject to the condition that no disembarkation of flight crew shall be permitted from the aircraft upon arrival th Faisalabad.

“The permission is subject to full compliance with Operational Standards Operating Procedure related to International Flights.”