Pakistan's state-run PIA flight departs for Paris after EU ban lifted

Pakistan's state-owned airline, plagued by a history of deadly crashes and a pilot licence scandal, resumed flights to Europe on Friday after a four-year ban was lifted by EU regulators.

The Pakistan International Airlines flight took off from Islamabad around 1240 pm (0740 GMT) heading for Paris, AFP journalists saw, becoming the only carrier to offer a direct route to and from the European Union.

"This is the first time I am travelling with PIA," said passenger Shumaila Rana, a 38-year-old school teacher living in Germany. "I'm nervous and I'm having a lot of anxiety, but I'm hoping it's gonna be a good flight."

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif inaugurated the twice-a-week flights to Paris and vowed that PIA will expand its operations to other European countries soon.

The flight from Islamabad was fully booked with more than 300 passengers, the airline said.

PIA crew members arrive before boarding their flight to Paris at the Islamabad International Airport on Friday. AFP

Asif said in a speech that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency had imposed the ban on PIA's operations to Europe because of an "irresponsible statement" by a former aviation minister.

Debt-ridden PIA was banned in June 2020 from flying to the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States, a month after one of its Airbus A-320s plunged into a Karachi street, killing nearly 100 people.

Passengers arrive at the immigration counter before boarding their PIA flight to Paris at the Islamabad International Airport. AFP

The disaster was attributed to human error by the pilots and air traffic control, and was followed by allegations that nearly a third of the licences for its pilots were fake or dubious.

In 2016, a PIA plane burst into flames after one of its two turboprop engines failed during a flight from the remote north to Islamabad, killing more than 40 people.

In November, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency announced it had lifted the ban, however it remains barred from flying in the UK and the United States.

PIA aircraft prepares to take off for Paris at the Islamabad International Airport on Friday.AFP

At the time, it said it had "re-established sufficient confidence" in the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority's oversight capabilities.

The airline flies to multiple cities inside Pakistan, including the mountainous north, as well as to the Gulf and Southeast Asia.

Hopes pinned on privatisation

PIA, which employs 7,000 people, has long been accused of being bloated and poorly run — hobbled by unpaid bills, a poor safety record and regulatory issues.

Pakistan's government has said it is committed to privatising the debt-ridden airline and has been scrambling to find a buyer.

Passengers wait at the immigration counter before boarding their first flight to Paris at the Islamabad International Airport. AFP

Late last year, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price.

The government hopes the opening of European routes, which officials expect will be followed by a similar announcement by the UK later this year, will boost its selling potential.

PIA posted losses of $270 million in 2023, according to local media. Its liabilities were nearly $3 billion, about five times the total worth of its assets.

In the same year, amid a national economic crisis, dozens of domestic flights were cancelled when it could not afford fuel for its planes.

PIA came into being in 1955 when the government nationalised a loss-making commercial airline, and enjoyed rapid growth until the 1990s.

First flight from Gwadar

Meanwhile, the first international flight was scheduled to depart from Gwadar, a new airport in southwestern Paksitan, later on Friday.

The Chinese-funded airport was inaugurated by Chinese Premier Li Qiang in October. The airport, Pakistan's largest, is located in restive southwestern Balochistan province and is part of a massive investment by Beijing that links a deep seaport and airport on the Arabian Sea by road with China.

Agencies