PIA to return to Europe
On 2 December 2024, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, lifted the ban on Pakistani airlines. As a result of this decision, PIA has announced on 9 December 2024 that it will relaunch flights to Europe as of 10 January 2025.
From this date, the airline will connect Islamabad with Paris-Charles de Gaulle with the Boeing B777. The flight will be, initially, conducted once per week.
With the EASA-ban lifted, PIA has asked the UK Civil Aviation Authority, CAA, to do the same. Once that hurdle is cleared as well, the airline is planning to again fly to Birmingham, London-Heathrow and Manchester.
The EASA banned PIA from flying into European airspace in 2020 following the crash of one of its A320s on 22 May 2020. Investigations into the crash found that up to 25% of all pilots in Pakistan didn't have correct or even fake pilot licenses. For the EASA it was clear the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, PCAA, wasn't conducting correct and thorough oversight and therefore banned Pakistani airlines from operating into the EU. Now, after a long process, the EASA is convinced the PCAA has its affairs in order.
The fleet of Pakistan International Airlines is currently made-up of three ATR42-500s, seventeen Airbus A320s, eight B777-200ERs, and four B777-300ERs.
When the EASA imposed the ban, AirBlue from Pakistan was also conducting flights into Europe, namely to Birmingham and Manchester. So far, this airline hasn't communicated any plans to restart flights to Europe.
AirBlue's fleet is made-up of five A320s, five A321s, and two A321neos.
Photo by Anton Homma.