ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has received clearance to resume flights to the United Kingdom (UK), nearly five years after services were suspended in the wake of a fatal 2020 crash.

The national flag carrier announced on Wednesday that it had secured Third Country Operator (TCO) certification from the UK’s transport department, allowing it to restart operations between Pakistan and Britain.

“PIA gets TCO Certification from UK. Plan to resume UK operations by next month,” the airline said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

PIA flights are expected to resume in October, starting with services to Manchester, the first since the suspension following the 2020 Karachi crash that claimed 97 lives and triggered international scrutiny of Pakistan’s aviation safety standards.

The UK’s decision follows a comprehensive audit of Pakistan’s aviation oversight systems. Alongside PIA, private airline Airblue has also been granted a TCO license, paving the way for its entry into the UK market.

Initially, routes will focus on Manchester and Leeds, with plans to expand to Birmingham, London, and Heathrow in the near future, according to Gulf News.

Articles tagged with "Flights"

Pakistan’s national carrier set to resume UK flights after five-year hiatus