Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to lease two additional London Heathrow slots to Saudi Airlines, having formally submitted a request to Airport Coordination Limited (ACL), the leading global airport slot coordinator. According to PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez, the airline has proposed a slot swap with ACL for its London Heathrow operations during the summer of 2025. Under this arrangement, PIA plans to lease two returning slots from Vietnam Airlines to Saudi Airlines from April 5 to October 25. PIA was forced to lease out its European airport slots after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspended its authorization to operate within the bloc in June 2020 due to concerns over Pakistan’s adherence to international aviation standards. However, in November 2024, EASA lifted the ban, allowing PIA to resume flights. The airline restarted its European operations last month with a flight from Islamabad to Paris. Despite this progress, PIA remains prohibited from operating flights to the UK and the US. Financially, the airline continues to struggle. In 2023, PIA reported losses of $270 million, with liabilities reaching nearly $3 billion—roughly five times the total value of its assets, according to local media reports.