US Aviation Team to Visit Pakistan for Direct Flight Review

A delegation from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will visit Pakistan in March to evaluate the possibility of resuming direct flights to the United States. Islamabad has already submitted the $75,000 assessment fee required for the process, sources confirm.

Pakistan’s direct flights to the US were halted in 2017, with attempts to restore them delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 PIA crash in Karachi. The situation worsened when the European Union banned PIA, leading the FAA to downgrade Pakistan’s aviation safety rating.

During the pandemic, Pakistan was granted limited permission to operate humanitarian flights, with seven completed. To meet US aviation standards, PIA and Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority have implemented reforms.

The FAA’s five-member team will conduct an initial review, but final approval will also require clearance from the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

If restrictions are lifted, PIA aims to restart direct flights to major US cities like New York, Chicago, and Houston. Previously, PIA operated US routes via Manchester, but efforts are now focused on launching non-stop services.