Pakistan welcomes Riyadh Air's inaugural Islamabad flight

Riyadh Air has begun direct flights between Riyadh and Islamabad, with its first service landing in the Pakistani capital on August 14. Mettis Global reported, citing APP, that Minister of State and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Digital Media Fahd Haroon welcomed the carrier. Service to Lahore is set to start on August 18, marking the airline's entry into the Pakistani market.

Haroon called the new route an important milestone in the long-standing fraternal ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, describing it as one more bridge between the two nations. He said the link would open wider avenues for travel between the peoples, commerce, visitor movement, investment and cultural interaction. He also thanked Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki and teams in both cities, along with the authorities and diplomatic missions involved.

The inaugural arrival coincided with Pakistan's 79th Independence Day, which Haroon said added special meaning to the occasion. He expressed confidence that Riyadh Air's presence would further improve connectivity and deepen the partnership between the two countries.