The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed on Wednesday direct flights from Lahore to Paris after a gap of five years.
The airline had announced resumption of of Lahore-Paris flights last month.
The first weekly flight from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport to Paris departed at 12 noon.
A total of 276 passengers boarded the flight PK-733.
The PIA is already operating two weekly flights from Islamabad to Paris.
For this flight, a Boeing 777 aircraft was operated, which had recently undergone an interior refurbishment to enhance passenger comfort, according to the PIA.
To mark the resumption of PIA’s Paris-bound flights, a ceremony was held at Allama Iqbal International Airport, during which a cake was also cut.
Passengers were seen off by PIA Chief Executive Officer Air Vice Marshal Aamir Hayat, Chief Operating Officer Khurram Mushtaq, Head of Mission at the French Embassy Franck Aubrée, and other senior aviation officials.
According to the PIA, resumption of the route after five years is expected to provide travel convenience to passengers while it will also boost foreign exchange earnings.
The development comes after the PIA restarted flight operations between Islamabad and Paris in January this year, following the European Union’s removal of restrictions on the carrier.
In November 2024, the European Commission and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted the suspension on the PIA, which had taken place back in 2020 after a PIA plane crash in Karachi in 2020 killed nearly 100, followed by a scandal over pilot licenses.