According to the Senate, PIA’s flights to the UK should restart in two to three months.

Mohammad Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, told the Senate on Tuesday that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will probably start operating flights to the UK again in two to three months.

In response to Sherry Rehman’s calling attention notice regarding the PIA aircraft groundings due to an unclear privatization plan, the minister stated that every attempt was being made to resume PIA flights to the UK. By the end of January, he said, a UK aviation team would travel to Pakistan for a physical assessment in this respect.

He said that more than Rs 650 billion had been lost by the national flag carriers. In accordance with the law, the government rejected the proposal since it was less than the reserved price, he noted, adding that the PIA privatization process was very transparent and the proceedings were live-streamed.

He declared that PIA’s privatization will move forward and that appropriate work is being done in this area.

Six Boeing, eleven Airbus, and the remaining ATR were among the PIA fleet’s 22 operational aircraft, according to Ishaq Dar. According to him, 11 aircraft—six Boeing and five Airbus—were undergoing repairs.

He claimed that prior to the prohibition, PIA was earning over Rs 84 billion annually from the UK and Europe through the operation of its flights, as a result of a declaration made by Ghulam Sarwar Khan, the then-Minister of Aviation.

According to him, flights to France have resumed following the government’s intensive efforts.

A proper inquiry has been ordered to thoroughly investigate the issue of inappropriate advertising for the reintroduction of PIA flights to France, the minister stated.

Prior to this, Sherry Rehman brought up the fact that only 19 of the 34 PIA planes were operating, with the rest being grounded.