A significant development regarding the initiation of flights from Pakistanto the United Kingdom and European Union countries has recently come tolight. Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport has witnessed theinstallation of a cutting-edge screening system, a noteworthy step. Thismilestone achievement has been made possible through collaborative effortsbetween Pakistan and the United Kingdom governments.
In the previous month, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) successfullypassed an initial audit conducted by the European Union Aviation SafetyAgency (EASA). This achievement marked a significant stride towards theresumption of flights to the United Kingdom. Following this, the UK’s CivilAviation Authority (CAA) is scheduled to conduct a comprehensive physicalaudit of PIA later this month in September.
The outcome of this audit holds the key to the final approval for PIA tooperate flights to the UK, potentially opening doors for flights fromPakistan to the United States and Canada as well.
The backdrop to this development is the suspension of a considerableportion of PIA’s international route network back in June 2020. Thissuspension was prompted by the fake pilot license scandal that engulfed theairline, resulting in the suspension of 262 pilots, including 141 from PIA.The current progress signifies a significant step towards restoring PIA’sglobal connectivity and reputation.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that approximately a month ago, thenAviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique had expressed optimism regarding theresumption of PIA’s flights to Britain within the next three months.
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He emphasized that recent legislative changes had removed the last obstacleobstructing the national flag carrier from resuming flights to the UnitedKingdom. However, he clarified that this resumption would not encompassflights to other European destinations, highlighting the specific focus onthe UK market.
In conclusion, the installation of a state-of-the-art screening system atLahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and the successful progress inaudits signal a promising future for Pakistan International Airlines,potentially leading to the resumption of flights to the United Kingdom andbeyond, while addressing the challenges posed by the fake pilot licensescandal
