Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is expected to resume flights to Europe in the next ten days. According to the sources, the initial routes are planned for Manchester and Paris.
Preparations for the resumptions of direct flights to Mian and Paris are already complete. The airline is waiting for the final approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Flight bookings will commence once the marketing department finalizes the schedule and completes arrangements at these international stations.
Prior to the EASA ban, PIA was offering routes to several European destinations including Barcelona, Birmingham, Bradford, and London. The airline is also looking to reintroduce flights to Copenhagen, Oslo and Amsterdam.
Beyond Europe, PIA is also looking forward to expanding flight operations to New York. As part of its efforts to rebuild its global network, six Boeing 777 aircraft have been designated for operations to Europe, the UK, and the US.
Defense and Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif welcomed the announcement, stating, “We have undergone numerous audits over the years. In the most recent audit, Pakistani airlines were rated better than many global carriers, highlighting our improved safety standards and operational excellence.”
“PIA plans to approach the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) for UK route resumption, as EASA clearance is a prerequisite for their decision,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan told Reuters upon lifting of the ban.
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EASA and the UK had placed travel restrictions on PIA following the case of the validity of the airline’s pilot licenses in the wake of the deadly plane crash of PIA in 2022 that killed 97 people on board.
PIA and the government, which is aiming to sell a 60 per cent stake in the carrier, had urged EASA to lift the ban, even provisionally. The ban cost the airline Rs40 billion ($144 million) annually in revenue. Decisions on the leasing of new aircraft after the government finalised the privatization negotiations.