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 the 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 Reuters.
EASA and UK authorities suspended permission for the 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 the PIA gets approval for UK flights, Khan said London, Manchester, and Birmingham would be the most sought-after destinations.
The PIA and the government, which is aiming to sell a 60 per cent stake in the carrier, had urged EASA to lift the ban, even provisionally. The ban cost the airline ₹40 billion 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.
“With Europe now, and upcoming UK routes, we anticipate increased revenue potential and hence a rise in PIA’s value during the privatisation process,” Khan said.
Police remand
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has approved the police remand of 156 workers of former premier Imran Khan’s party arrested during a protest here, according to a media report.
Workers of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested during the November 24 sit-in protest at D-Chowk, and cases have been registered against them at the Secretariat Police Station, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
The party members crossed barricades and attempted to reach Islamabad, where a midnight crackdown resulted in four deaths and over 50 injuries.
The anti-terrorism court here approved a four-day physical remand for 139 of the arrested activists and granted an additional four-day remand for 17 others, the report said.
During the hearing, led by anti-terrorism court judge Tahir Abbas Supra, the investigating officer requested an extended physical remand for the suspects, alleging that anti-riot kits and sticks were recovered from the PTI workers.
