PIA eyes revival of UK flights by THIS month

KARACHI: Pakistan’s aviation industry is poised for another breakthrough as preparations are underway to resume Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to the United Kingdom, ARY News reported.

According to the Director General of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), Nadir Shafi Dar, a delegation from the UK Department for Transport (DfT) will visit Pakistan next month. He further revealed that an online meeting is also scheduled for the third week of December, followed by an official visit to the UK in January 2024.

The DG expressed optimism, stating that PIA flights to the UK could resume as early as March, following successful evaluations similar to those conducted by the European Union (EU). Pakistan’s positive assessment by the EU is expected to pave the way for PIA UK flight operations.

A PIA spokesperson noted that Pakistan previously operated 21 weekly flights to the UK, including ten to London, nine to Manchester, and two to Birmingham.

Resumption of flights to Europe and the UK is expected to significantly boost the national airline’s revenue.

PIA on December 7, announced that it will resume flights to Europe in January, starting with Paris, after the EU aviation regulator lifted a ban on the national flag carrier.

PIA’s authorization to operate in the EU was suspended in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its CAA to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.

“We have got approval for the first flight’s schedule we had filed,” PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said, adding that the airline would be opening bookings on Dec. 9 for its planned Jan. 10 flight of a Boeing 777 to Paris.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Britain suspended PIA’s permission to operate in the region after Pakistan began probing a scandal over the validity of pilots’ licences in the wake of a plane crash that killed 97 people.