PIA will resume direct flights to Paris after a four-year absence.

The daybreak of Friday (January 10, 2025) provides a moment of pride for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) as its ‘great bird’ prepares to fly for the first direct journey to a European country in four years.

The PIA flight will depart for Paris with a near-maximum passenger capacity.

ISLAMABAD AIRPORT: ABUZZ WITH PREPARATIONS

There is a lot of excitement at the New Islamabad International Airport, where PIA’s first flight to Europe since resuming operations will take off on Friday.

Arrangements for PIA’s flight to Paris have been concluded, and a Boeing 777 will depart from Islamabad International Airport.

Officials reported that booking for the trip began on December 7 and that almost all seats had been reserved.

According to a PIA spokeswoman, nearly all economy class seats on the two-way aircraft between Pakistan and Paris have been sold.

According to the spokeswoman, the aircraft had a total capacity of 323 people, with only 11 executive economy seats remaining for the initial flight.

Similarly, the spokesman stated that approximately 85% of tickets for next week’s flights were sold out, with only a few executive economy seats remaining to be guaranteed.

He stated that there was a high demand for direct flights from Pakistan to Europe.

The route ban across Europe has been lifted.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) overturned the prohibition that had been in effect since 2020, allowing PIA to resume direct flights to European destinations.

PIA announced its intention to resume flights to Paris on its Facebook page: “We are thrilled to announce that EASA has officially lifted the ban on Pakistan International Airlines, which is a significant milestone enabling the airline to resume flights to Europe.”

The EU aviation regulator revoked PIA’s permission to operate in the region after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses following a jet disaster in Karachi that killed 97 people.

According to Reuters, the PIA will seek approval from Britain’s Department for Transport (DfT) to resume routes to the UK.

He stated that once approved by the Department for Transport, London, Manchester, and Birmingham would be priority destinations.

According to officials, the prohibition caused PIA to lose approximately $150 million per year.

Abdullah Hafeez, an airline spokesman, announced that the first direct trip from Islamabad to Paris would restart after more than four years.

He stated that EUASA had expressed “complete satisfaction over the safety standards of PIA” and that plans were on to restore PIA’s flights to other European cities.