After the four-year restriction is lifted, PIA will increase its activities throughout Europe.

A PIA official announced on Sunday that the airline will increase its activities in the European Union (EU), only days after the first PIA flight touched down in Paris after a four-year ban was lifted.

Concerns regarding Pakistani aviation authorities’ capacity to guarantee adherence to international standards led the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to suspend PIA’s permission to operate in the EU in June 2020.

Authorities from the US, UK, and EASA revoked PIA’s authorization to operate in the area when Pakistan started looking into pilots’ license validity after a jet crash that claimed 97 lives. EASA declared in November 2024 that the prohibition had been lifted.

Pakistani nationals and travel agencies from all around France and Europe attended the airline’s roadshow in Paris this week, which followed the arrival of its inaugural flight from Islamabad in the French capital on Friday.

At the roadshow, PIA Chief Commercial Officer Nausherwan Adil stated, “The response from our compatriots abroad has exceeded our expectations.” “PIA intends to commercially expand its network throughout Europe.”

According to the airline, PIA was asked by the Pakistani community to start flights to other European cities. Other airlines that fly to Pakistan have seen a noticeable drop in fares since PIA flights to Paris began.

“To recover its fleet, PIA is doing everything in its power. Meanwhile, in partnership with other airlines and train networks, PIA is facilitating access to Pakistan from other European destinations,” the airline stated.

“In response to the input we received here [at the roadshow], PIA will enhance the quality of its services and satisfy the needs of its clients.”

PIA is still prohibited from running flights to the US and the UK, though. In addition to the Gulf and Southeast Asia, the airline operates flights to several places in Pakistan, including the country’s mountainous north.