*KARACHI: In order to promote tourism, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to operate flights to the Saidu Sharif Airport in Swat.*
The airport that was closed in 2004 owing to the precarious security situation will be made operational.
The national flag carrier will operate a test flight to the airport using an ATR aircraft in the last week of this month, the PIA said and called for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to make arrangements in this regard.
The required development work at the Saidu Sharif airport has been carried out.
A CAA official said that the airport has been non-operational for a long time and will be re-opened following an approval of the federal government. He said the airport’s runway has been readied for flights to land and take off.