KARACHI: Jane Marriott, UK High Commissioner to Pakistan, took to the X on Saturday (25th Oct, 2025) to state: “PIA heads to Manchester! A genuine joy to wave off the first flight by a Pakistani carrier to the UK in five years. Here’s to more destinations and connections!”
PIA National flag-carrier’s flight PK-701 departed from Islamabad airport to Manchester.
Following receipt of 3rd Country Operator (TCO) approval Wednesday (24th Sept, 2025), PIA is all set to apply to operate flights to London and Manchester in order to return to British skies in the month of October.
It is pertinent to mention here that UK Dept for Transport concluded an aviation security inspection of the Airport here, proclaiming that Pakistan’s security arrangements were “satisfactory and in line with int’l standards”.
PIA informed:“In the first phase, flight operations to Manchester will be resumed, after which Birmingham and London will be included in the network.”
One may recall that a seven-member committee had been formed to figure out how much the country lost due to former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Awan Khan’s statement (apropos 262 active Pak pilots’ fake licenses) given on the floor of the National Assembly during a Parliamentary session back in 2020.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan had accused Pakistani pilots of holding fake licenses or cheating in the exams. This statement transformed into a joke and even channels like CNN contributed towards making it viral.
The said committee was supposed to assess the financial losses incurred by the national exchequer due to the irresponsible statement by then aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan back in 2020.
The committee comprising the Defense, Law, Finance Ministers and their secretaries, CEO of PIA and the DG of CAA were supposed to present its report within 4 weeks. Due to his statement 109 commercial and 153 transport airline pilots were grounded.
Licenses of 141 PIA pilots, nine Air Blue pilots, 10 Serene Airlines pilots, and 17 Shaheen Airlines pilots were scrutinized. Then, an over-smart PIA pilot crashed the aircraft over houses in Malir killing a hundred people.
As a result EASA banned the national carrier from routes in Europe and UK, costing PIA a loss of Rs. 40 billion per year.
EASA had also issued TCO authorisation to Airblue. Following the lifting of ban imposed on PIA by EC and EASA, the national-flag carrier commenced operations to Europe.
Newspakistan.tv
