Pakistan International Airlines flights to the United Kingdom will restart in October, according to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
Dar said in a speech on the Senate floor on Sunday that Pakistan’s aviation legislation was not in line with international standards, but that adjustments had been made and only the president’s assent was required.
The minister stated that he was personally interested in the return of PIA flight operations; Dar also praised Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and the Aviation Division for their efforts to resume international flight operations.
The finance minister also took aim at the former aviation minister and said his statement regarding the license of pilots inflicted a loss of Rs 71 billion each year to the national exchequer.
‘PIA suffered a loss of Rs 59 billion in terms of closure of UK flights,’ Dar said and added that the national carrier suffered a loss of Rs 12 billion each year for flights to Europe and America.
Dar elaborated that the flight operation to the United Kingdom is profitable as there is less space for profit on the rest of the international routes.
The finance minister stated that, in accordance with the agreement reached with foreign authorities, the final inspection would be conducted in August, and flights to the United Kingdom would resume in October – provided Pakistan promulgates its updated law.
Currently, PIA’s enormous network spans the world, with flights to 25 countries in Asia, Europe, and North America, as well as 24 locations within Pakistan.
Over safety concerns, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) halted Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft operations towards Europe in 2020.
After failing to comply with the proposed corrective action plans (CAPs), EASA suspended PIA’s Third Country Operator (TCO) Authorisation.
During meetings in June and September 2019, at least six findings were discussed with PIA authorities, with five of the action plans implemented and one other concerning part of a Safety Management System not implemented.
A member of the UK Parliament, Naz Shah, has undertaken efforts to restore direct flights to Pakistan, and in this regard, the MP submitted a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport of the United Kingdom, Mark Harper, requesting that direct flights between the two nations be permitted.
In her communication in May of this year, the MP emphasised that the flight interruption between the two nations affects around 2,70,000 Pakistanis living in the United Kingdom.
Direct flights between the United Kingdom and Pakistan via Pakistan International Airlines have been suspended since July 2020. Furthermore, direct flights via other carriers have been impacted.
