PIA starts preparations to resume Europe flights

KARACHI: The national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has started preparations to resume direct flights to France and other European countries, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The management of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) issued tender for cargo handling services in France and sought applications from the willing companies by August 24.

The PIA spokesperson said that the applications will be submitted to the PIA’s country manager in France.

After three-year ban, the national carrier is expected to be allowed to resume direct flights to European countries after getting clearance from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

A delegation of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will visit Pakistan in September this year to review a ban on Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flights to Europe. EASA is responsible for ensuring safety and environmental protection in air transport in Europe.

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The EASA delegation will undertake a physical audit of PIA as well as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Successfully clearing the audit could lead to a reversal of the ban on PIA flights to European Union, say sources.

Earlier, Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said that Pakistan International Airlines is likely to resume flights to Britain in the next three months.

Rafique told parliament that new legislation this week has removed the final hurdle for Pakistan’s national carrier to fly to the United Kingdom.

He gave no details about the legislation or why it was required to resume the flights. He said the resumption of services to Britain did not include other European destinations.

“God willing, the PIA flights will resume at least to the UK in three months, and, later, flights to Europe and America will resume,” he said.

PIA flights to Europe and the UK were suspended after the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) revoked the national carrier’s authorisation to fly to the bloc in 2020 following a fake pilot licence scandal in the South Asian nation.