Daily Times

Pakistan’s aviation industry is poised for another breakthrough as preparations are underway to resume Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to the United Kingdom. According to the Director General of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), Nadir Shafi Dar, a delegation from the UK Department for Transport (DfT) will visit Pakistan next month. He further revealed that an online meeting is also scheduled for the third week of December, followed by an official visit to the UK in January 2024. The DG expressed optimism, stating that PIA flights to the UK could resume as early as March, following successful evaluations similar to those conducted by the European Union (EU). Pakistan’s positive assessment by the EU is expected to pave the way for PIA UK flight operations. A PIA spokesperson noted that Pakistan previously operated 21 weekly flights to the UK, including ten to London, nine to Manchester, and two to Birmingham. Resumption of flights to Europe and the UK is expected to significantly boost the national airline’s revenue.