Director General of Civil Aviation, Nadir Shafi Dar, has expressed optimism that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to the UK will soon resume, following the recent clearance from the European Union. Dar revealed that a delegation from the UK Department for Transport will visit Pakistan next month, with an online meeting scheduled for December’s third week. The official visit is planned for January, and flights to the UK could potentially resume by March.
Dar emphasized that the UK’s evaluation of Pakistan’s aviation standards would align with the positive results achieved in the EU’s recent assessment. “We have seen good results with the EU, and we anticipate similar progress with the UK,” he said.
A PIA spokesperson confirmed that the airline previously operated 21 weekly flights to the UK, including routes to London, Manchester, and Birmingham. The resumption of flights to the UK and Europe is expected to significantly boost PIA’s revenues.
In addition to the UK, PIA is set to resume flights to Europe, starting with Paris, in January after the EU lifted its suspension of the airline. The ban on PIA’s EU operations, imposed in June 2020, was due to concerns over compliance with international aviation standards.
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