Pakistan’s national carrier will be resuming its flights to Europe in early January as EASA lifts the four-year ban on the airline due to restrictions imposed by the agency in 2020, following the Karachi PIA crash that killed 97 people. The ban cost the PIA around $150 million a year due to concerns over pilot licensing and Pakistan’s adherence to international safety standards.
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This was informed by PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez. The first flight from Islamabad to Paris will be in early January. EASA has checked PIA’s safety measures, and the airline is now preparing to expand its travel destinations to more cities in Europe. Following the 2020 crash, the government investigation revealed that about a third of Pakistani pilots had cheated in exams, due to which PIA had suspended 150 pilots.
Evidently, travel inquiries increased, and Hafeez assured that more routes would be announced soon, adding, “If you have breakfast in Pakistan, you’ll be having lunch in Paris.”