Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), for the first time in its history, is operating a direct non-stop flight to the US city of Chicago, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

After a historic flight to New York on March 31, PIA Boeing 777-240LR direct, non-stop flight is now on its way back to Islamabad from Chicago.

This special flight took off from Islamabad International Airport on 13 June 2020 and is now returning back from Chicago on 14 June (Sunday-today).

This was made possible after the United States Department of Transport specially allowed Pakistan International Airlines to operate up to 12 special relief flights directly to the United States.

https://twitter.com/PKAviation/status/1271785635473473541

The PIA shared this news on its official twitter account. Prior to this flight, PIA already operated a historic first direct flight to the New York, USA, on 31 March.

Pakistan International Airlines served Chicago O'Hare and Houston in prior years. The carrier launched Chicago destination initially in May 2003, on a weekly basis with a stopover in Birmingham, UK, using an Airbus A310. It later moved its stopover to Manchester in April 2004. The Chicago service was suspended in August 2007, when the European Union banned PIA's A310s and 747s, but resumed it in May 2010, with a stopover in Barcelona, using a Boeing 777-200ER. Chicago was cancelled again in March 2012.

The PIA initially operated these special flights indirectly by first flying to Toronto, Canada, or carrying forward a flight from the United Kingdom.

It is important to note that the PIA has been flying to the United States since 1961.

Last time the PIA had to stop flying to Chicago due to the European Union ban on its fleet so it had to divert its fleet to other routes. The PIA restarted Chicago flight via Barcelona on 2nd June 2010. But this flight was also suspended.

https://twitter.com/historyofpia1/status/1271860579507023872

In February 1960, PIA wet-leased a Boeing 707 from Pan American airlines and became the first Asian airline to induct and commercially operate a jet aircraft in its fleet. PIA introduced its first trans-Atlantic flight between Karachi and New York, but this was not a nonstop direct flight and it used to stop at London. The inaugural flight took off on 5 May 1961 but it was suspended in February 1963.

It is important to note that this is an interim decision to facilitate stranded passengers in both countries.

Pakistan International Airlines has formally requested US authorities to allow it to operate non-stop flights to bring back stranded Pakistanis.

In 1961 PIA started flying to the United States via London Heathrow using its newly acquired Boeing 707 aircraft. PIA wet-leased a Boeing 707 from Pan American Airlines. Initially, this plane was flown by PanAm pilots, thereby making PIA the first Asian airline to induct and commercially operate a jet aircraft in its fleet. An all-Pakistani crew began operation of the 707 from 20 June 1960 onwards.