PIA’s first flight off to Paris after 4-year hiatus

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Friday resumed its flight operations to Europe after nearly a four-year hiatus, with its first flight taking off from the Islamabad International Airport to Paris.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had slapped a four-year ban on the airlines expressing concerns over its ability to meet the international aviation standards causing significant financial losses to the airlines.

A PIA official said the first flight to Paris was fully booked depicting long-awaited resumption of the operations to the European countries.

The flights will depart for Paris from Islamabad every Friday and Sunday, providing direct air connectivity between the two countries along with increased trade and tourism opportunities.

“By the grace of Allah Almighty, the incumbent government has restored the identity of the national airlines,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while congratulating the nation on the departure of the first flight adding that the PIA will now move towards new development and progress.

Shehbaz noted that the PIA’s direct flights to Europe will facilitate the expatriates.

He said due to the suspension of flights, the national airlines had to incur a loss of billions of dollars besides damage to its reputation.

Shehbaz said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Aviation Khawaja Muhammad Asif, relevant departments and their officers and staff deserved appreciation.

Khawaja Asif criticised a former minister whose irresponsible statement had caused a loss of billions of dollars to the national airlines.

He was referring to a statement of minister for aviation in 2020, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who claimed that either the degrees of 262 Pakistani pilots were fake or they had cheated in exams. As a result, the EASA banned the PIA flight operations for European destinations in June the same year.

Khawaja Asif called for accountability of those who had made the damaging remarks, stressing that such comments should not be allowed to hurt the reputation of the national flag carrier.

The minister termed the day historical and observed that the national airline’s services to Europe were once again operational.

“The green and white flag of Pakistan is once again waving in the European skies,” Khawaja Asif said. He was hopeful about the future of the PIA, stating that the resumption of flight operations was just the beginning.