Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has scheduled passenger flights to the United Kingdom.
According to the official PIA website, Pakistan’s national flag carrier will resume passenger flights from Jinnah International Airport (KHI) in Karachi and Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE) in Lahore to London from February 10, 2022.
From February 12, 2022, the airline will also expand its flight schedule with air connectivity services from Islamabad (ISB). A one-way ticket between Karachi (KHI) and London (LHR) will cost travelers up to €39 (PKR77,750). Flights from Lahore (LHE) will be offered at the same price.
The move comes just weeks after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) withdrew restrictions barring PIA from flying to the UK. The ICAO confirmed that the carrier had resolved a safety concern following a 2020 scandal, which revealed a large number of Pakistani pilots held dubious commercial pilot licenses.
Earlier in January 2022, in a letter to Khan Murtaza, the director-general of Pakistan CAA, the authority revealed the conclusions of its 10-day safety audit, which was conducted in December 2021. The ICAO confirmed that its validation committee had reviewed the action taken by Pakistan to address the Significant Safety Concern (SCC) and determined that Pakistan’s CAA had successfully resolved the issued SCC.
Having passed the ICAO safety audit, Pakistan CAA has raised new hopes for state-registered airlines regaining permission for flight operations to the United States, the United Kingdom, and European countries. The move offers PIA a chance to return to its key international markets.