PIA flights to UK likely to resume soon: reports

After a nearly five-year ban, the UK aviation authority may lift its restrictions on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), allowing direct flights to UK airports. As per reports, officials from PIA have already started planning the reopening of the national carriers' Islamabad-Manchester route from March 28.

While PIA is reportedly set to receive the greenlight to resume flight operations, the official decision is still in the pipeline and will become official once UK regulators clear PIA’s status. In early January 2025, PIA resumed operations in Europe after flight PK-749 took off from Islamabad bound for Paris, carrying 330 passengers and 14 crew members.

The moratorium on PIA’s services to Europe came about as a direct consequence of a post-crash speech by then-minister Ghulam Sarwar, who had claimed without any evidence that 40 percent of PIA’s pilots were flying with fraudulent licenses. Mr. Sarwar’s speech detrimentally impacted the airline's credibility, and the airline lost its goodwill with customers, which it had earned over the years.

Nevertheless, after PIA flight 8303 crashed in Karachi, the company lost the right to fly to various high-traffic destinations such as the United States, Canada, European Union (EU) and notably, the UK. However, PIA seems to be coming alive again as countries are beginning to trust PIA’s safety measures once again.

As per reports, a transport safety review board from the UK is set to discuss PIA’s aviation status by the middle of March. PIA, after implementing various reforms to update its security measures, strongly believes that the board will remove the suspension that has kept PIA’s aircraft off of British airports since 2020.

The national carrier is reportedly ready to operate flights as soon as approval is granted. According to a PIA spokesperson, airline executives are waiting for an official notification from the UK’s Department of Transport.

If approved to fly to the UK, PIA’s chances of getting privatized might rise significantly. This is because bidders previously did not see the airline making significant revenues. However, Pakistan-UK routes are extremely lucrative given the size of the Pakistani diaspora residing within the UK. This could boost the profitability of the company, making it seem more attractive to potential buyers.

Furthermore, if PIA gets the green light, Manchester will not be the only city the airline will fly to. According to reports, while the national carrier will fly to Manchester during the initial phase, it plans to quickly resume operating flights to London and Birmingham.

To prepare for the potential flights, airline officials have reportedly issued quotations for catering, crew accommodation, and ground handling.