ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Friday it will resume flights to Europe in January, starting with Paris, after the EU aviation regulator lifted a ban on the national flag carrier.
“We have got approval for the first flight’s schedule we had filed,” PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said, as quoted by Reuters, adding that the airline would be opening bookings on December 9 for its planned January 10 flight of a Boeing 777 to Paris.
The airline spokesperson said after more than four years the first direct flight from the capital Islamabad to Paris will resume in early January.
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.
The EU agency had said it was “concerned about the validity of the Pakistani pilot licences” when it imposed the ban in 2020.
The spokesperson told The Associated Press that EASA has expressed “complete satisfaction over the safety standards of PIA” and that arrangements are underway to resume PIA’s flights to other cities in the European countries.
PIA will soon approach Britain’s Department for Transport (DfT) for permission to resume routes to the UK, the spokesperson said. Once cleared by the DfT, London, Manchester and Birmingham would be the most sought-after destinations, he added.
PIA has 23% of Pakistan’s domestic aviation market, but its 34-plane fleet cannot compete with Middle Eastern carriers which have 60%, due to a lack of direct flights, despite having agreements with 87 countries and key landing slots.
Travel agents on Thursday said customers were making calls to inquire about the new flights.
Hafeez, the PIA spokesman, said the airline will soon announce the schedule of flights to other destinations in Europe.
“If you have your breakfast in Pakistan, you will be having your lunch in Paris,” he said as quoted by The Associated Press.
Prior to the EASA ban, Pakistan’s national air carrier offered services to various European destinations, including Barcelona, Birmingham, Bradford, and London, in addition to the newly prioritized cities.
The airline is also looking to reintroduce flights to Copenhagen, Oslo, and Amsterdam as part of its broader strategy to rebuild its European network.
Beyond Europe, PIA is eyeing the resumption of flights to New York, contingent on receiving permission from the United States.
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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.
In a significant development for Pakistan’s aviation sector, EASA officially lifted the ban on Pakistani airlines, including PIA, on November 29, allowing PIA to resume direct flights to Europe.
Defence 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.” – Agencies
