Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is all set to start direct flights to the United States after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Washington next week.
Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan revealed this in a press conference at Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) headquarters on Thursday. PIA stopped the flights to New York via Manchester in 2017 as Washington had security concerns.
The concerns have now been addressed and direct flights will begin soon as it is more economically more viable than a stopover in Manchester.
The minister added that PIA plans on increasing its fleet from 31 to 45 by 2025, purchasing 3-4 aircraft every year instead of leasing them.
We have developed a business plan for PIA, which the prime minister has approved. According to the plan, we are going to increase PIA’s fleet from the current 31 to 45 aircraft.
PIA spokesperson, Mashhood Tajwar informed that direct flights will yield better results.
Boeing 777-200LR is the premium aircraft for long-haul flights and if operated on short routes, it does not yield desired results.
Answering a question, the federal minister said that the CAA is planning to develop a price-checking system to counter excessive price hikes, especially on domestic routes.
