Pakistan's PIA to resume flights to Europe on Jan. 10 after 4-1/2 year ban

By Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan International Airlines said on Friday it will resume flights to Europe in January, starting with Paris, after the EU aviation regulator lifted a ban on the national flag carrier.

PIA's authorisation to operate in the EU was suspended in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.

"We have got approval for the first flight's schedule we had filed," PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said, adding that the airline would be opening bookings on Dec. 9 for its planned Jan. 10 flight of a Boeing 777 to Paris.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Britain suspended PIA's permission to operate in the region after Pakistan began probing a scandal over the validity of pilots' licences in the wake of a plane crash that killed 97 people.

PIA will soon approach Britain's Department for Transport (DfT) for permission to resume routes to the UK, Khan said.

Once cleared by the DfT, London, Manchester and Birmingham would be the most sought-after destinations, he added.

The ban cost the loss-making airline 40 billion rupees ($144 million) annually in revenue.

PIA has 23% of Pakistan's domestic aviation market, but its 34-plane fleet cannot compete with Middle Eastern carriers which have 60%, due to a lack of direct flights, despite having agreements with 87 countries and key landing slots.

Pakistan's attempt to privatise PIA fell flat when it received only a single offer, well below its asking price.

(Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Alexander Smith)