The government of Pakistan is making a big push to restore permissions for Pakistan International Airlines to return to Europe and the U.K. in advance of privatization of the carrier.
Sources close to the development revealed that the multiple technical sessions have been conducted in the past two days between CAA and EU officials.
These online sessions lasted for several hours, focusing on the steps required to lift the ban on PIA flights in Europe and the UK.
CAA officials shared progress reports, stressing that all the targets set by the EU and UK have been met, and urged the authorities to allow PIA’s resumption in these regions.
The airline believes restoration of service is close enough that they’ve been out catering contracts for Manchester and Birmingham service in the U.K.
Pakistan International Airlines is best known for sacrificing a goat as part of its maintenance procedures and flying with more passengers than seats (and making customers stand for 1700 miles).
More than 30% of the airline’s pilots had fake licenses. Cockpit resource management was virtually non-existent at PIA. The airline was banned from European airspace on June 30, 2020, over its safety-related issues.
Flight attendants run when they land outside the country. If they can get work on a flight to Canada, they’re going to stay in Canada.
Unable to afford even jet fuel, the Pakistan national carrier limited its flight and the government has been attempting a sale despite labor backlash, because privatization threatens running the carrier as a fiefdom and piggy bank of corruption for staff. Previous privatization protests turned violent in clashes with police involving rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas.
Before the pandemic PIA announced plans to fly to the U.S. starting in 2020, and even claimed the U.S. would allow them to handle their own security.
When I glanced at the headline at first I thought it was a post about AA.
PIA’s privatization should be completed by November. If the entrenched powers manage to prevent the sale, it will be proof positive that Pakistan cannot be saved from it’s privileged class of elites.
FYI, PIA is stil flying non-stop from Toronto to Pakistan three times per week and selling old SQ Spacebeds which are more or less equivalent to say, LH’s or EK’s Business Class seats, as Premium Economy at a bargain price.
PIA is a lousy airline but I wouldn’t be so sure it’s the world’s worst airline since there are lots of airlines out there and some are small and awful.
PIA used to fly to Oslo and it was one of the only or few European airports outside of the UK where it would have regularly scheduled long-haul passenger service flights.
Well, at least the staff at PIA are friendly and try to be helpful. From that perspective, I’d nominate LY as the worst.
Have you actually experienced LY ?
Please. For those that can remember ,Aeroflot has got to be in the running for travel you might want to avoid.
Yes, twice. Have you?
How about your crappy EL AL with pathetic service..
Gary you must be devastated with this announcement..
Unfortunately despite all your hate they are flying to Toronto and apparently doing pretty good on that route.
A win is a win, this will help open up more routes and if Pakistans CAA gets it’s act together, they can stand a chance connecting Europe to the East via it’s ISB hub. But they need to step up their game first. I’ve flown PIA before and they were fine, minus the worn out cabin. Their catering and customer service is above par.
I’ve flown PIA with no problems. Gary is fixated on sacrificing goats. Must not like Abraham. You don’t sacrifice a goat for luck but to give thanks. And you donate the meat to the poor (Gary, meat even Austin BBQ does not come from the grocery store; someone kills something).
Jack the Lad got it: thanks for the bounty and accomplishments and an offering (of the meat and the pelt) to the poor.
Pakistan has a long and illustrious history as whipping boy. I remember decades ago, when PIA still flew around the world, that it was teasingly referred to as “Pray I Arrive.”
While I’m firmly on the side of PIA not being the worst in a big world with lots of airlines hiring based on nepotism and corruption – the later of which has now been impressively eliminated at PIA while it still goes on with many other world carriers – it is troubling to see such reflexive antisemitism from my fellow supporters who do the reputation of Pakistan or PIA no favors. What does LY have to do with any of this? As used to be said commonly in Pakistan but seems to have been long forgotten, “A wise person looks at his own vices, the vices of fools are seen by others.”