Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will resume flights to Europe starting in January 2024, beginning with a route to Paris.
The decision follows after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ended the ban on PIA which was in place since 2020.
PIA’s flights were halted due to concerns about the Civil Aviation Authority to meet international aviation standards. The suspension came in the wake of a scandal involving the validity of pilots’ licenses, triggered by a tragic plane crash in Karachi that claimed 97 lives.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan confirmed the development, stating, “We have received approval for the first flight schedule we submitted.” He added that bookings will open on December 9 for the planned January 10 flight, with a Boeing 777 aircraft going to Paris.
The airline also plans to approach the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) to restore routes to Britain. Khan noted that once approval is granted, London, Manchester, and Birmingham would be the priority destinations.
Kindly rectify the error for January 2024, it should be January 2025.