Following the resumption of Pakistan International Airline’s direct flights to Europe, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has been actively involved in efforts to lift the ban imposed on the airline’s operations to the United Kingdom.
According to CAA sources, a delegation from the UK Department of Transport (DFT) will visit Pakistan in mid-January. PIA’s direct flight operations to the UK are expected to resume in February. The UK Civil Aviation team will arrive in Karachi between January 15 and 17, 2025, Express News reported.
The CAA has contacted the British aviation authorities to request an exemption from the safety audit process. The UK DFT has shown its willingness to grant this exemption and has expressed confidence in the CAA’s manual report. The British aviation team will formally carry out a safety audit of both CAA and PIA.
The British aviation team has already carried out a PIA and CAA audit, with successful results. CAA Director General Nader Shafi Dar is personally leading security teams to ensure the timely resumption of direct flights to the UK.
The CAA will brief the DFT delegation during their visit. There are high hopes that the ban on PIA direct flights to the UK will be lifted in February. PIA is set to resume operations in the UK, with direct flights to Manchester initially, followed by London and other cities in the second phase. PIA will operate its Boeing 777 aircraft for flights to Europe and the United Kingdom.
Earlier, Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat was reappointed CEO of PIA, according to a notification issued by the Pakistani government. Hayat will serve as interim CEO until a permanent appointment is achieved.
Earlier, according to a PIA spokesperson, with the expansion of its network and the possible resumption of flights to the United Kingdom and Europe, the national airline is in the process of rejuvenating its aircraft that had been in storage for a long time, bringing them back into the fleet operational.
According to the management’s plan, the operational fleet of Boeing 777 will reach eight aircraft. Likewise, the management plans to increase the number of A-320 aircraft to 12 and ATR aircraft to two.
“This fleet requirement is in line with the aggressive operational plan that PIA has set for the year 2025,” the airline official said.
Pakistan to export trained pilots for foreign airlines
CAA Director General Nadir Shafi Dar on Wednesday announced plans to export trained Pakistani pilots to meet demand from international airlines.
In a press conference, Dar pointed out the shortage of cockpit pilots in the region and revealed that the CAA has already initiated efforts to address the problem.
He said that while Pakistani aviation was preparing enough pilots to meet the needs of local airlines, any surplus would be offered to foreign companies.
Dar revealed that two international companies have expressed interest in the initiative and one of them has already started Phase 1 of the project.
