Islamabad, Dec 7: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will resume twice-weekly flights between Islamabad and Paris starting January 10, 2025, after the European Union lifted restrictions on the carrier.
A PIA spokesman, Abdullah Hafeez, confirmed that flights will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays using Boeing 777 aircraft, with ticket bookings opening on December 7, 2024.
PIA has set the operations between Islamabad and Paris to resume, but it has not clarified the timeline for resuming the Lahore-Paris route.
This marks PIA’s return to European skies after a ban lasting over four years.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) imposed the ban in June 2020 due to concerns about Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority and the airline’s ability to meet international aviation standards.
The suspension of PIA’s operating rights in the EU followed an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses after a plane crash in 2020 that killed 97 people. The airline is also working on obtaining permission from the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) to resume flights to the UK. Once cleared, London, Manchester, and Birmingham are expected to be key destinations.
The ban resulted in an annual revenue loss of 40 billion rupees ($144 million) for PIA. Despite holding 23% of Pakistan’s domestic aviation market, PIA faces stiff competition from Middle Eastern carriers, which dominate with 60% market share, partly due to PIA’s lack of direct international flights.
PIA’s attempt to privatize also faced difficulties, as it received only one offer, far below its asking price.
