Pakistan International Airlines

The UK CAA hopes to remove Pakistani carriers from its banned list “in the near future” but will not immediately follow EASA's decision to lift its ban on PIA.

EASA has lifted a four-year ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from operating to Europe, which was triggered by the fatal crash of Flight 8303.

The Pakistan government appears to be changing its approach to privatizing PIA after recent attempts to find a suitable bidder were unsuccessful.

The privatization prospects for PIA remain unclear, after the government reportedly received a single bid that was lower than its asking price.

The trend toward airline privatization has been gathering momentum in the South Asia region since the pandemic.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan encounter setbacks in their quests to find suitable buyers.

The Pakistani government had previously expected final bids for PIA in early August—but the deadline has now been shifted to the end of September, according to reports.

The Pakistan government will soon consider whether to grant final approval for a plan to sell a majority stake in Pakistan International Airlines.

Talks are under way between EASA and the Pakistan CAA over allowing Pakistan International Airways (PIA) to resume flights to the European Union (EU).

EASA banned Pakistani carriers from flying to the EU in 2020 following a fatal PIA crash.

As British Airways begins a second route to Pakistan, Routes looks at the state of the country’s somewhat underexploited aviation market.

Just weeks after Virgin Atlantic unveiled plans to serve Lahore, Pakistan, British Airways has signaled its intention to enter the market.

Routes analyzes some of the services returning as well as new routes being launched. This week we look at Virgin Atlantic’s move into the UK-Pakistan market; Jetstar’s resumption of Sunshine Coast-Adelaide flights; and the launch of a new Widerøe route from Bergen.

Pakistan International Airlines has been cleared to resume two routes to the UK using aircraft chartered from Portuguese wet-lease operator Hi Fly.

Islamabad-New York route is subject to final TSA approval.

This week: American Airlines expands European focus; new Bordeaux route for AirBaltic; and Pakistan International Airlines to fly Karachi–Bangkok.

The privately-owned Serene Air commenced flights on January 29, 2017 between Karachi and Islamabad after securing its air operator certificate just a week earlier. The airline is also offering flights between Jinnah International Airport in Karachi and Faisalabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta, with the latter also being served from Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad too.