ISLAMABAD: Following the lifting of the ban by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), both national and private airlines in Pakistan have started preparing to resume flights to the UK and the USA.
Private airline Airblue has announced plans to restart operations from Pakistan to the UK. The airline is preparing to launch flights from Lahore and Islamabad to the UK. A British aviation delegation is set to visit Lahore in the first week of January to assess passenger facilities and security arrangements at Lahore Airport.
Meanwhile, talks are progressing with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to restart flight operations. Pakistan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FAA, and financial arrangements are being finalized.
Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Nadir Shafiq, confirmed that payments to the FAA will be made soon, and an FAA delegation is expected to visit Pakistan by February or March.
Flights between Pakistan and the USA were suspended in 2017, with six weekly flights previously operating—four to New York and two to Chicago. With Pakistan’s FAA rating improving from Category 2 to Category 1, there is optimism that the country will return to Category 1 status, paving the way for the resumption of flights to the US.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will also resume flights to Europe in January, starting with Paris, after the EU aviation regulator lifted the ban on the national flag carrier.
PIA’s authorization to operate in the EU was suspended in June 2020 due to concerns about Pakistan’s ability to meet international aviation standards.
