LONDON – Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has said that they are expecting to resume services back to Europe for the first time in 4 years after their licence to operate flights to and from the EU was suspended by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in June of 2022.
EASA and UK authorities suspended the airlines licence after a deadly crash which claimed the lives of 97 people. Following an investigation by the Pakistan authorities, a problem was highlighted about the validity of pilots’ licences in the region.
Both EASA and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) agreed that it brought questions about the safety of the airline into question, and the decision was made to suspend their operating licence to the region until changes to safety had been made.
While talking to news outlet Reuters PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan said: “PIA plans to approach the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) for UK route resumption, as EASA clearance is a prerequisite for their decision,”
It is understood that the airline is expecting to be able to resume services to Europe, starting with Paris within the next three to four weeks, following the discussions which have taken place with the relevant authorities.
A Much Needed Market for PIA
The ability to resume flights to the UK and Europe will be a massive step in the hopes of recovering the airlines high losses, as it has struggled to be able to operate international services with good profit margins despite it’s number of services to the middle east and Asian region.
PIA is financially struggling with the government selling of it’s stake in the airline as it looks to become privatised. The carrier has only got a 23% stake inside the countries domestic market, with it’s fleet of only 34 aircraft unable to compete with Middle Eastern carriers which are believed to hold around a 60% market share in the coutnry.
This is despite PIA holding agreements with 87 different countries and possessing key landing slots, 2 of which at places like London Heathrow it has been renting out to other airlines over recent years, a lack of direct flights has hurt the airlines which has been losing ten’s of millions each year since the suspension was implemented.
During his interview with Reuters Mr, Khan while talking about PIA’s finical woes and privatisation plans said: “With Europe now, and upcoming UK routes, we anticipate increased revenue potential and hence a rise in PIA’s value during the privatisation process,”
The news will certainly be welcomed in Pakistan as the UK and Europe where some of the airlines most profitable and popular routes prior to June 2022, with many families and travellers now being able to look at direct services once again, with their only options in recent years requiring transits with Middle Eastern carriers.
With the country going through so many changes in recent years, the ability to open services back up to Europe and the UK will allow PIA to hopefully start to focus on making it’s self more profitable and open up a new customer for Airbus and Boeing to be able to be a part of their journey as they will likely focus on a route and fleet expansion.
