The first Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to Paris in four years has departed Islamabad International Airport (ISB), in the wake of a ban from European Union airspace being lifted last year.
The PIA Boeing 777-200ER, registered AP-BGK, left Pakistan on January 10, 2025, just after midday and is due to arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) 16:23, local time.
The airline celebrated resuming operations to the EU by welcoming guests at Islamabad Airport with a replica of the Arc de Triomphe. The aircraft’s tail was painted with the Eiffel Tower and ‘I love Paris’ was emblazoned on the nose.
PIA was instructed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on November 29, 2024, that the ban would be lifted after the airline complied with the EU’s stringent safety standards.
PIA will operate two flights a week between Paris and Islamabad. It is now the only airline in the world to connect the capital cities.
The original ban was ordered by EASA in June 2020, after serious safety concerns arose following a fatal crash in Pakistan.
On May 22, 2020, a PIA Airbus A320 aircraft was operating a domestic flight from Lahore to Karachi when the plane crashed into a crowded residential area near its destination.
Of the 99 people on board, 97 lost their lives, while two survived with injuries. The crash also injured eight people on the ground, one of whom later died.
In 2025, PIA plans to return previously stored aircraft to service, including eight Boeing 777s, 12 Airbus A320s and three ATRs.
In December 2024, a PIA spokesperson said: “With the anticipated expansion of our network and the potential resumption of flights to the UK and Europe, the airline is committed to meeting fleet requirements for its ambitious 2025 operating plan. PIA is proud to maintain notable schedule reliability and an on-time performance exceeding 90%, the highest in the country.”