Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will start flights to Paris after a gap of over four years.
The airlines’ spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan confirmed PIA will resume flights to Paris from January 10, 2025.
The airline would soon start bookings for its planned flight of a Boeing 777 to Paris.
PIA’s authorization to fly in the EU was stopped in June 2020 because of worries about Pakistan’s ability to meet international aviation standards. This happened after a plane crash killed 97 people, leading to an investigation about pilots’ licenses.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Britain banned PIA from operating in their region due to this issue.
PIA plans to ask Britain’s Department for Transport (DfT) for permission to fly to the UK again.
If the DfT agrees, PIA aims to restart flights to London, Manchester, and Birmingham.
According to Reuters, the ban has cost PIA 40 billion rupees ($144 million) every year. PIA holds 23% of Pakistan’s domestic flight market but can’t compete with Middle Eastern airlines, which have 60% because of a lack of direct flights, even though PIA has agreements with 87 countries and key landing slots.
Pakistan’s effort to privatize PIA failed because it only received one low offer.