PIA to resume operating direct flights to the UK
After a two-year suspension, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will resume operating flights to the UK.
Five individuals from the Civil Aviation Authority travelled to Brussels on October 25 to meet with the European Commission and the International Aviation Safety Assessment officials (IASA). The CAA had been invited by the European authorities to a technical meeting. The delegation will provide the authorities with a briefing on registration, access, and licencing.
The European Commission and IASA will visit Pakistan in 2023 to investigate the measures the airline is taking. Activity will resume if the commission and IASA are satisfied.
For the PIA to begin operating flights throughout Europe, a trip to Pakistan is required. Due to a prohibition in European countries since July 2020, PIA has lost Rs 150 billion.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has halted PIA’s flight operations because Pakistan is “unable to certify and control its airline operators.” The decision was made in response to Ghulam Sarwar Khan, the previous aviation minister, suspending the licences of 262 Pakistani pilots whose credentials he deemed “dubious.”
PIA to resume operating direct flights to the UK
Due to a scandal involving bogus pilot licences that began in 2020, the Pakistani airline continues to be prohibited from operating in the EU and the UK. This prevents it from using its expanding widebody fleet on routes to Europe.
