After the EU ban is lifted Pakistan will resume PIA flights to the UK
Dr. Mohammad Faisal Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK recently said that Pakistan International Airlines PIA is getting ready to start operating direct flights to the UK again after the European Union lifted its air safety restriction.
Dr. Faisal revealed that PIA flights to the UK are anticipated to formally resume following Eidul Fitr while speaking at an Iftar dinner in London that was attended by journalists and TikTok influencers. Flights to Pakistan will begin operating in the first phase from London and Manchester, and work is being done to restore service from Birmingham as well.
There will be a special inaugural ceremony to commemorate this momentous occasion, and media representatives are invited to cover it.
Context
After a terrible plane disaster in Karachi in June 2020, PIA canceled its flights to the UK and other EU locations. Following the then Minister of Aviation’s admission that multiple PIA pilots had forged permits which raised international worries about Pakistan’s aviation safety regulations the embargo was further cemented.
Nevertheless the airline made amends and as of January 10, 2024 after a four and a half year break PIA has already started operating again to Paris after the EU recently decided to withdraw the ban.
Requirements and Authorizations
A PIA spokeswoman stressed that although this declaration is a positive step toward a full resumption real flight operations will depend on final clearances from the UK Civil Aviation Authority and other regulatory agencies. The timing is merely provisional till those are approved.
Momentum for Privatization
The privatization process of PIA is also accelerating in the meantime. The Arif Habib Group, Taba Group and YB Holdings are among the prominent Pakistani business organizations who have expressed a keen interest in purchasing the national carrier. According to reports these organizations have negotiated terms and circumstances for the possible acquisition with government officials at a high level in Islamabad.
Sources claim that if the government meets its main demands the interested parties are ready to move forward with the buyout.
If successful, this operational and structural rebirth could improve PIA’s competitive standing in international aviation and help rebuild its reputation around the world.
