LONDON: During an iftar dinner in London, attended by journalists, social media influencers, and esteemed guests, Dr. Faisal announced that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will initially resume flights from London and Manchester to Pakistan. He also mentioned efforts to restart services from Birmingham in the near future.
The High Commissioner highlighted that the resumption of flights will be celebrated with a formal opening ceremony, with media representatives invited to cover the event. He clarified that the reinstatement of flights is unrelated to any operational concerns regarding aircraft landings. This move aims to strengthen Pakistan’s aviation ties with the UK following a prolonged suspension of direct flights.
PIA resumed its European operations on January 10, 2025, with its first flight to Paris after a four-and-a-half-year ban imposed by the European Union. The EU had suspended PIA’s operations in June 2020 following a tragic plane crash in Karachi. The situation further deteriorated when the then-Aviation Minister revealed in Parliament that several pilots had obtained fake licenses, raising serious safety concerns.
After implementing extensive regulatory improvements and safety compliance measures, the EU lifted the ban, allowing PIA to resume its services to European destinations.
Additionally, the Pakistani government has assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of selling PIA by July. However, the future of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York remains uncertain due to the US’s decision to prematurely terminate the $228 million lease deal.
The Ministry of Privatisation briefed the IMF on the status of PIA’s privatisation and set a deadline of July 2025 to sell the loss-making entity. Previous attempts to privatise PIA failed when a weak scrutiny process led to selecting a real estate developer as the sole bidder. The developer’s offer of Rs10 billion was significantly lower than the minimum asking price of Rs85 billion.
Sources revealed that the IMF was informed that the government is currently assessing market sentiment before issuing an Expression of Interest to attract investors by the end of this month.
