Pakistan’s aviation sector is making strides toward the resumption of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to the United States, with preparations well underway, as reported by.
The government of Pakistan has reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), according to the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority (DG CAA). This agreement aims to settle outstanding financial obligations.
DG CAA Nadir Shafi Dar confirmed that the payments to the FAA are expected to be completed soon, paving the way for a FAA delegation to visit Pakistan by February or March. There is hope that Pakistan will regain its ‘Category One’ status with the FAA, which will allow the resumption of direct flights to the U.S.
PIA’s flights to the U.S. were suspended in 2017, when six weekly flights, including four to New York and two to Chicago, were operating.
In related news, DG CAA Nadir Shafi Dar announced that a delegation from the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) will visit Pakistan next month. An online meeting is also scheduled for the third week of December, followed by an official visit to the UK in January 2024.
He expressed optimism that PIA flights to the UK could resume as early as March, following successful evaluations similar to the positive assessment by the European Union (EU), which is expected to pave the way for PIA operations in the UK.
Previously, Pakistan operated 21 weekly flights to the UK, including ten to London, nine to Manchester, and two to Birmingham. The resumption of flights to the UK and Europe is expected to provide a significant boost to PIA’s revenue.
