Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has passed an initial audit by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), bringing the carrier one step closer to resuming flights to the UK. The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is now scheduled to conduct a physical audit of the Pakistani flag carrier in September.
Large parts of PIA’s international route network were suspended in June 2020, on the back of Pakistan’s fake pilot license scandal, which saw 262 of the country’s pilots suspended, including 141 from PIA.
If the airline passes the CAA’s audit in September, the final barrier to PIA operating flights to the UK will have been removed, and it may also pave the way to the airline flying to the US and Canada once more.
While there has been no official word from the airline about the timescales of any resumption, it is likely to happen quickly, given the importance of the UK market to PIA. Last week, Pakistan’s Federal Aviation Minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique, told officials that PIA was likely to resume flights to the UK in the next three months, saying,
A significant source of revenue
With its large Pakistani diaspora, Europe, and in particular the UK, is a key source of income for PIA, making up 37% of the airline’s revenue, according to a PIA spokesperson. This opportunity to tap into this market once again will, therefore, no doubt be welcome news to the airline, which has been struggling financially of late.
In the past, the airline has flown to several UK airports, including London Heathrow (LHR), Manchester (MAN), Birmingham (BHX), and Leeds Bradford (LBA), from its hubs at Islamabad International Airport (ISB), Jinnah International Airport (KHI) in Karachi, and Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE) in Lahore.
Filling the gap in the market
Following the suspension of PIA’s direct flights to the UK, the gap in the market has been filled by both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. However, both carriers have recently cut back their services, leaving only one direct flight between the two countries – British Airways’ three-weekly flight from London Heathrow to Islamabad, which is operated by the Boeing 787.
Virgin Atlantic also operated a short-lived service from Manchester to Islamabad. Meanwhile, the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines, continue to offer a wide variety of one-stop options from up to eight UK departure points.
PIA operates a sizeable widebody fleet of 12 Boeing 777 aircraft. The latest data from ch-aviation.com shows that the airline’s long-haul fleet is currently made up of six 777-200ERs, two 777-200LRs, and four 777-300ERs. The aircraft carry between 310 and 393 passengers, depending on the configuration.
Source: Simple Flying