LONDON (Kashmir English): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is going to resume flights to the United Kingdom (UK) following the lifting of the European Union ban, after Eid-ul-Fitr, according to Pakistan High Commissioner Mohammad Faisal.
Dr. Mohammad Faisal said that PIA flights to the UK will officially resume after Eid-ul-Fitr.
Speaking to the media after an Iftar dinner for journalists and TikTok influencers in London, Dr. Faisal said that the first phase will include flights from Manchester and London to Pakistan, while, he added, efforts are underway to restore flights from Birmingham as well.
He told media that a special ceremony will be held to officially inaugurate the flight resumption, with media representatives in attendance.
PIA’s first flight
It is to mention here that after the European Union lifted the ban, PIA’s first flight to Paris took off on January 10, marking the end of a four-and-a-half-year suspension.
The ban was slapped in June 2020 after a PIA plane crash in Pakistan’s Karachi, followed by the then Aviation Minister Chaudhary Ghulam Sarwar’s controversial statement in Parliament, revealing that pilots were holding fake licenses.
Meanwhile, the process for the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines has picked pace once again, with prominent groups showing significant interest for the acquisition of PIA.
According to sources, the interested groups include the Arif Habib Group, Taba Group, and YB Holdings.
Key meetings have already taken place among representatives of these interested parties to discuss the potential acquisition of the airliner.
Sources further said that since the process for PIA privatization has gained momentum, the interested parties have expressed their willingness to proceed with the acquisition of the airlines provided their conditions are met.
