By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will resume flights to the United Kingdom next month after receiving Third Country Operator (TCO) approval, the national carrier announced on Wednesday, marking a significant step in restoring its UK operations following a five-year ban.
The UK’s decision to remove Pakistan from its Air Safety List in July paved the way for the airlines to apply for flight operations in Britain. The move followed a security inspection by the UK Department for Transport at Islamabad International Airport, which concluded that Pakistan’s aviation security arrangements were “satisfactory and in line with international standards,” according to a PIA statement.
The TCO certification, granted on Tuesday, allows PIA to operate direct flights and transport both passengers and cargo to the UK. The airline also received PIA Security and Cargo ACC3 certificates from the British Department of Transport, valid for five years, the statement added. “These certificates, issued by international aviation organisations, are a manifestation of complete confidence in PIA’s air operations and safety.”
The carrier plans to restart operations in phases, beginning with flights to Manchester, followed by Birmingham and London. “In the first phase, flight operations to Manchester will be resumed, after which Birmingham and London will be included in the B network,” the statement read.
PIA’s return to British skies follows a challenging period for the airline, which was banned from flying to the European Union, the UK, and the United States in June 2020. The suspension came a month after a PIA Airbus A-320 crashed in Karachi’s Model Colony, killing nearly 100 people. The ban was further compounded by concerns over pilot licensing, with then-aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan revealing that 262 pilots held “dubious” licences, prompting the grounding of those pilots.
The European Union lifted its ban on PIA operations in November 2024, setting the stage for the airline’s gradual return to international routes. Prior to the 2020 suspension, PIA operated 21 weekly flights to the UK, including 10 to London, nine to Manchester, and two to Birmingham.
In a post on X, PIA expressed gratitude to Pakistan’s prime minister, foreign minister, defence ministry, and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority for their support in securing the approvals needed to resume UK operations.
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