PM Praises PIA for Resuming European Flights

PM Praises PIA for Resuming European Flights

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national airline will restart its flights to Europe on Friday, with the first service departing from Islamabad to Paris.

The airline declared on Thursday that this is the end of a nearly four-year halt in its European operations; the suspension was enacted in 2020 following a plane crash involving Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in Karachi that resulted in 97 fatalities and subsequent allegations by a former aviation minister claiming that almost 40 percent of the country’s pilots possessed “dubious” licenses.

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This statement raised international concerns regarding Pakistan’s aviation safety oversight, leading European regulators to suspend PIA flights.“PIA’s inaugural flight will take off from Islamabad to Paris tomorrow,” the airline said in a statement. It added that initially, two flights per week will operate on Fridays and Sundays, with plans to gradually increase this frequency.

The airline highlighted that the flight schedule was arranged for optimal convenience, mentioning that flights from Islamabad would depart at 11:30 a.m. and land in Paris at 4:00 p.m. In contrast, return flights will leave Paris at 6:00 p.m. and arrive in Islamabad at 5:00 a.m.

“The schedule is highly convenient, allowing passengers to enjoy breakfast in Pakistan and lunch in Paris,” the airline remarked, stressing the attractive nature of the new service.

The halt of operations in Europe had worsened PIADue’s fragile financial state and financial struggles, as the debt-laden airline found it difficult to recover from a damaged reputation.

Due to its precarious financial condition, the government encountered obstacles in privatizing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during last year’s negotiations for a $7 billion loan.

The revival of flights to Europe is anticipated to enhance PIA’s revenue and increase its attractiveness to potential investors, bolstering the government’s efforts to privatize the airline.