Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will launch direct weekly flights to Baku, Azerbaijan. The flight operations will start from April 20th as part of its efforts to expand its network of destinations.
Weekly flights will depart every Sunday and Wednesday. To mark the launch, special ceremonies will be held in various cities across Pakistan to engage with travel agents and tour operators. PIA stresses the roles of the travel agents in the success of the new route to Baku.
“The airline is committed to making this new connection commercially viable while promoting bilateral tourism and trade relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan,” the statement said.
Last week, the federal government celebrated the PIA’s return to profitability.
Last month, the United Kingdom(UK) decided to retain the ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) against the hopes that the ban would be lifted, imposed since 2020.
The decision by the UK Department for Transport has dashed the hopes for the imminent resumption of the PIA direct flights to and from the UK.
A department spokesperson said, “Airlines must go through a rigorous procedure to have restrictions lifted,” adding that the UK Civil Aviation Authority was in contact with Pakistani authorities regarding the issue.
Read more: UK retains ban on PIA flights, dashing hopes for immediate resumption
The UK Air Safety List includes countries and airlines that are not permitted to operate commercial flights within the UK due to safety concerns.
The official UK government website states, “All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Pakistan are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the United Kingdom.”
The news comes days after PIA had expressed hopes for the lifting of the ban. The British Air Safety Committee had discussed lifting the ban, which raised hopes.
The ban was imposed on PIA in 2020 by the UK and European aviation authorities after the scandal of fake licenses of PIA pilots emerged following the plane crash in Karachi.