PIA 'set' to resume direct flights to US

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is gearing up for the revival of the direct flights to the United States (US), ARY News reported, citing sources.

As per details, hopes for direct flights revival to the US by PIA as a delegation from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is scheduled to visit Pakistan in mid-March for a final clearance inspection, sources said.

The five-member FAA team will assess Pakistan’s aviation standards to determine eligibility for Category 1 status, a prerequisite for resuming direct flights to the United States.

According to sources, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the resumption of direct flights between Pakistan and the US has already been signed.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is accelerating efforts to regain Category 1 status, which was downgraded to Category 2 following a European and UK ban on Pakistani flights.

Direct flights between Pakistan and the United States were suspended in 2017. Before the suspension, PIA operated six weekly flights to the US, including four to New York and two to Chicago.

Earlier, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif revealed that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is set to resume direct flights to the United Kingdom (UK) by the end of February.

Speaking in ARY News program “Aiteraz Hai”, Khawaja Asif stated that PIA would also launch flights to 19 European destinations, including Barcelona and Milan.

Additionally, the airline plans to start flights to the United States and Canada, he added. Asif said PIA’s value to increase with these developments, making it more attractive for privatization.

PIA had been working to revive its operations and reputation after facing significant challenges in recent years.