PIA stops Mumbai flights from Monday

Pakistan's national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), will stop services between Karachi and Mumbai from Monday, the airlines announced.

PIA, which operated two weekly flights (Monday and Thursday) between Karachi and Mumbai, cited poor occupancy as reason for the decision.

The airline would, however, continue to operate the Lahore-Delhi service as traffic volume on this route is satisfactory, reports quoting PIA sources said.

With the suspension of Mumbai-Karachi flights, PIA expects volume on the Lahore-Delhi flights to increase.

"There will be no PIA flight between Karachi to Mumbai and Mumbai to Karachi from April 8. The PIA has stopped booking for flights on this route,'' a PTI report quoted a PIA official as saying.

"Since we have been bearing financial loss on this route for the last six months or so we have arrived at a decision to suspend this route," the official said, adding that unless a special subsidy is not given by the government on this route it may not be restored in the near future.

PIA, meanwhile, clarified that its decision was purely commercial and has nothing to do with rising tensions between the two countries over the beheading on Indian soldiers and the Kulbhushan Jhadav issues.