Web Desk: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) after the period of six years has announced expansion of its UK operations of direct flights to London.
According to PIA spokesperson four weekly flights from Islamabad to London is starting from March 29 and the airline will begin operating four weekly flights.
For enhancing the passengers’ convenience and connectivity the flights will be operated from Heathrow Airport’s state of the art terminal 4.
Due to most attractive and high demand routes London holds special importance for PIA as it was the airline’s first ever international destination.
In PIA’s international network restoration, the revival of this route marks a major milestone.
Earlier it was reported that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced that restarted nonstop flights to Manchester United Kingdom.
The airline stated that the flight operations brought “loved ones closer once again” as it reconnects Manchester and Islamabad.
This comes a day after the Pakistan High Commission in London confirmed that the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had issued the Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit (FOP).
According to the High Commission, after flights to Manchester in the first phase, PIA expanded its operations to other UK cities, including Birmingham and London. The move described as a major relief for the Pakistani community in Britain, which numbers more than 1.7 million.
PIA had earlier secured the Third Country Operator (TCO) certification from the UK aviation authorities last month. This was seen as a key step toward restoring its passenger services after years of restrictions.
In a related development, the UK Department for Transport (DfT) issued a letter granting permanent approval for PIA to run cargo flights.
The designations under the UK’s ACC3 aviation security framework are valid until August 2030.
The fake pilot licence scandal in July 2020 resulted in the suspension of PIA flights to Europe and the UK by the twin bans imposed by the British and European aviation authorities. The scandal had cast serious doubts on the aviation safety standards of Pakistan.
These concerns saw Pakistan appear in the UK Air Safety List in 2021. Regulators on both sides have since been collaborating to deal with the safety shortcomings.
Also Read: PIA to Resume Direct Flights from Islamabad to Manchester on October 25
