ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority on Friday issued a Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the country’s high commission in London said, clearing the final administrative hurdle for the carrier to resume flights to Britain this month.
Britain lifted restrictions on Pakistani carriers in July, nearly half a decade after grounding them following a 2020 PIA Airbus A320 crash in Karachi that killed 97 people. The disaster was followed by claims of irregularities in pilot licensing, which led to bans in both the UK and the European Union.
A PIA spokesperson had earlier announced plans to restart direct flights to Britain in October after securing international safety and security approvals, signaling a return to one of its most important markets while awaiting the UK permit.
“The Wait Is Over,” the Pakistan High Commission in London exclaimed in a post on social media.
“High Commissioner @DrMFaisal is grateful to the Civil Aviation Authority, UK @UK_CAA for issuing the Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit (FOP) today, the final document enabling commercial flights between the UK and Pakistan,” it added.
