Govt airline hopes to resume Europe flights soon after regulator lifts ban

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Sunday it expects to resume European routes soon and is eyeing several UK destinations after the EU aviation regulator lifted its bar on the flag carrier.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspended PIA’s authorisation to operate in the EU in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.

“PIA plans to approach the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) for UK route resumption, as EASA clearance is a prerequisite for their decision,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan told foreign media. EASA and UK authorities suspended permission for PIA to operate in the region after Pakistan began investigating the validity of pilots’ licenses following a deadly plane crash that killed 97 people.

Khan said the airline expects to resume flights to Europe, starting with Paris, within the next three to four weeks. Once PIA gets approval for UK flights, Khan said London, Manchester, and Birmingham would be the most sought-after destinations.

PIA and the government, which is aiming to sell a 60% stake in the carrier, had urged EASA to lift the ban, even provisionally. The ban cost the airline 40 billion rupees ($144 million) annually in revenue.

Khan said the company has sufficient cash flow to add new routes. Decisions on leasing new aircraft will be made after the government finalises privatisation discussions, he said.

The loss-making national carrier has a 23% stake in Pakistan’s domestic aviation market, but its 34-plane fleet can’t compete with Middle Eastern carriers which hold a 60% market share, due to a lack of direct flights, despite having agreements with 87 countries and key landing slots.

The government’s attempt to privatise the airline fell flat when it received only a single offer, well below its asking price.