PIA clears final hurdle to resume direct flights to UK this month

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been granted a Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, clearing the final hurdle to resume direct flights to Britain this month, the Pakistani High Commission in London announced on Friday.

The UK had lifted restrictions on Pakistani airlines in July, nearly five years after grounding them following the 2020 crash of a PIA Airbus A320 in Karachi, which killed 97 people. The tragedy sparked a broader investigation into pilot licensing irregularities, leading to flight bans by both the UK and the European Union.

With international safety and security approvals already in place, a PIA spokesperson had previously confirmed plans to restart UK operations in October, pending this final permit.

“The wait is over,” the Pakistan High Commission declared in a social media post. “High Commissioner @DrMFaisal is grateful to the UK Civil Aviation Authority @UK_CAA for issuing the Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit (FOP) today, the final document enabling commercial flights between the UK and Pakistan.”

PIA has already secured Third-Country Operator (TCO) authorization and will initially resume flights to Manchester. Routes to Birmingham and London are expected to follow in subsequent phases.

The airline’s return is set to ease travel for the Pakistani diaspora, boost trade, and generate much-needed revenue. The UK is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, with annual bilateral trade totaling around £4.7 billion ($5.7 billion).

Despite ongoing financial challenges—PIA has accumulated over $2.5 billion in losses over the past decade—the Pakistani government is moving ahead with plans to privatize the airline. The privatization effort is part of a broader initiative to reduce losses at state-owned enterprises under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan program.

In November 2024, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency lifted its suspension of PIA, allowing the airline to resume Paris-bound flights in January, and later expand the route to include Lahore–Paris in June. However, those services were recently paused as PIA shifted focus and resources to support its UK relaunch.