Karachi: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is preparing to resume direct flights to Paris next month following the much-anticipated safety clearance granted by the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA).
Addressing a delegation from the Council of Economic and Energy Journalists in Islamabad, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafiz announced that the national carrier anticipates receiving the crucial (IASA) clearance this month.
“As soon as we get the clearance, we will start flights to Paris by June, followed by the resumption of direct flights from Pakistan to Britain’s Heathrow Airport on August 14,” Hafiz said confidently.
Hafiz also emphasized that Pakistan maintains air service agreements with 97 countries worldwide. However, due to aircraft scarcity and financial limitations and problems, the airline has scaled down international flight operations to just 14 destinations at present.
“We are optimistic that once the routes to Europe and the UK are started, people will opt for PIA,” Abdullah expressed hopefully, foreseeing an uptick in demand for direct flights from Pakistan to these sought-after destinations.
In 2020, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspended direct flights from Pakistan to Britain, banning PIA from operating flights to Europe and the UK. This action followed a tragic crash in Karachi in 2020, claiming nearly 100 lives, and the revelation of a pilot license scandal, which raised significant safety concerns.
This step of restoring direct flight to EU and UK might boost PIA’s operations and facilitate convenient travel for Pakistanis residing abroad, strengthening the country’s global connectivity.
As PIA prepares to reestablish its presence in key European destinations, the airline’s adherence to rigorous safety standards and its capability to deliver dependable service will be under careful scrutiny by both industry experts and passengers.
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