- Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed its operations in Europe after a four-year ban.
- The ban was imposed by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) due to concerns over pilot certifications.
- Despite the resumption, PIA is still barred from flying to the UK and operating certain flights in the US.
- The resumption of flights is a significant step towards restoring PIA’s reputation and financial stability, but challenges remain.
After a four-year hiatus, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the state-run airline of Pakistan, has resumed its operations in Europe. The first flight took off for Paris on January 10, marking a significant milestone for the airline. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had imposed the ban, which was lifted late last year, allowing PIA to resume its operations in Europe.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement, expressed his delight at the restoration of flights to Europe. He said, “Restoration of flights to Europe will facilitate the Pakistanis living abroad, due to the closure of flights, the loss of billions of dollars to the national airline and its reputation has been affected. By the grace of Allah, the government has restored the identity of the national airline.”
However, PIA is still barred from flying to the UK and operating certain flights in the US. The restrictions were imposed after the EASA suspended PIA’s license to fly in the EU for six months in July 2020. This suspension came after then Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan revealed that a significant number of active pilots were suspected of acquiring their licenses through dubious means, including cheating in the examinations that aspiring pilots have to take.
The Scandal and Its Aftermath
These pilots were reportedly inducted before 2018, during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. The Imran Khan-led government ordered inquiries against 262 pilots from multiple airlines, including 141 from PIA. This scandal emerged in the wake of a plane crash in 2020 in Karachi, where almost all passengers – nearly 100 people – aboard a PIA plane died.
In the same month, the US Department of Transportation revoked permission for PIA to conduct charter flights to the US, citing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) concerns over the pilot certifications. The FAA revised its assessment of PIA on its compliance with the safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a technical UN agency for aviation under the United Nations. It gave it a Category 2 rating, meaning it was not allowed to initiate new service to the US and be restricted to current levels of existing service to the country.
In November last year, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that EASA had lifted the suspension on PIA flights to Europe. This was made possible due to the complete focus of the Aviation Ministry to strengthen the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and ensuring safety oversight in line with ICAO standards. He added that steps had also been taken to strengthen the PCAA.
The Road Ahead for PIA
The resumption of flights is expected to help PIA significantly. The Pakistan government has intended to privatise the airline for many years. According to a Nikkei Asia report, it had a total debt of $3 billion as of May 2024. Previous attempts at holding auctions have led to protests by PIA employees. However, with Pakistan’s worsening economic condition in the last few years, the government has strengthened its efforts to sell PIA and other national assets.
The country’s larger economic woes have also impacted PIA. In 2023, for example, dozens of domestic flights were cancelled when it could not afford plane fuel, with fuel prices rising to a historic high. In this scenario, key routes to countries in the West will help boost the airline’s money-making prospects before an auction. Current Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif had called the restoration of flights to Europe a “major value addition”.
PIA has a long history of being accused of being bloated and poorly run, hobbled by unpaid bills, a poor safety record, and regulatory issues. It was set up in 1946 by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who instructed industrialist MA Ispahani to establish a national airline on a priority basis. Initially registered as a pilot project in Calcutta (now Kolkata) as Orient Airways Ltd. in 1946, its operations began in June 1947. Subsequently, it transferred its base to Pakistan.
The inaugural flight, PK-749, was waved off by Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif, PIA CEO Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, and other senior officials. The new service has been well-received, with full bookings for the first two flights. The direct route to Paris addresses a long-standing demand from the Pakistani community in France and Pakistan, offering affordable fares and time savings.