Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Friday resumed its direct flights to Paris after a suspension that lasted more than four years.
The first flight, PK-749, took off from Islamabad International Airport (IIAP) on Friday at 12:10 pm, using a Boeing 777 aircraft (AP-BGK). The flight was carrying 330 passengers and 14 crew members.
Several senior officials including Aviation Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, PIA CEO Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, and Director Generals of Civil Aviation Authority and Pakistan Airports Authority attended the maiden flight ceremony .
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Khawaja Asif praised the efforts of PIA and Civil Aviation in making European flights possible. He expressed gratitude to European Union aviation officials for evaluating Pakistan’s standards.
The minister acknowledged that PIA has suffered significant losses, running into hundreds of billions over the past four and a half years, and is currently in debt of Rs 800 billion, while profitable routes remain closed.
Khawaja Asif also criticized the former aviation minister’s statement, stating that it caused widespread damage to the aviation sector. He noted that for the last four and a half years, Pakistanis were forced to travel abroad at high costs.
He expressed pride in Pakistan’s ability to meet international standards and announced that PIA will soon start operating flights to the United Kingdom.
It should be noted that the airline has inaugurated the route with a special decoration, with a model of the Eiffel Tower on the tail and the motto “I Love Paris” on the nose. The Boeing 777 has been refurbished to meet European Union aviation standards.
PIA plans to operate direct flights between Islamabad and Paris twice a week on Fridays and Sundays. The airline has reported high demand and the first two flights are already full. The route is expected to continue attracting significant demand, particularly from the Pakistani community in France.
To enhance the onboard experience, PIA has introduced a wireless entertainment system that allows passengers to use their own devices to access media.
The resumption of the Islamabad-Paris route follows the recent decision by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to lift the ban on Pakistani airlines flying to EU countries. The ban was in place for more than four years, but was lifted, allowing PIA to resume services to Europe and the United Kingdom.
