Islamabad: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is set to resume direct flights to the UK in February, following the lifting of the ban on direct flights to Europe. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is actively working to lift the restrictions on PIA’s UK flight operations.
The first phase will see flights to Manchester, with the possibility of expanding to other cities such as London in subsequent phases. According to CAA sources, a team from the UK Department for Transport (DFT) will visit Karachi from January 15-17 to conduct a security audit for PIA and CAA.
The DFT team has expressed confidence in CAA’s manual report and agreed to request an exemption for the security audit. The formal audit will be conducted by the UK team. CAA sources confirmed that both PIA and CAA had already passed an audit by the DFT, paving the way for the resumption of UK operations.
A Positive Step for Pakistan Aviation
Director General of CAA, Nadir Shafi Dar, is personally leading the safety teams to ensure the timely restoration of direct flights to the UK. Authorities at CAA will brief the DFT delegation on safety measures and flight operations.
The resumption of flights to the UK and Europe is expected to be a key achievement for the CAA in the new year, as Pakistan becomes the sole aviation safety regulator in the country.
First Flights in February
There is strong hope that the ban on PIA’s direct flights to the UK will be lifted by February. PIA is ready to restart its operations to the UK, initially launching direct flights to Manchester. In the second phase, flights to London and other cities will follow. PIA plans to use Boeing 777 aircraft for its operations to Europe and the UK.
Background
The suspension of PIA’s European flight operations began in July 2020 when it was revealed that several commercial pilots held “suspicious licenses.” This led to a temporary suspension by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for six months, which was later extended indefinitely in April 2021.
In September 2024, during a meeting of the CAA Board of Directors, significant progress was reported regarding the restoration of PIA’s flights to Europe and the UK. The board was informed that the licensing system for pilots had been completely overhauled, improving flight safety standards.
EASA reviewed these improvements in November, and it was expected that, based on the progress made, PIA’s flights to the UK and Europe would be reinstated during 2025.
Regulatory Requirements
All commercial and chartered flights flying over the European Union require approval from the Third Country Operator (TCO) authorization. TCO was implemented in 2016 to ensure that all aircraft operating in European countries meet the safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
To gain TCO approval, commercial flights must submit information regarding their aircraft and safety programs for review by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
