Pakistan International Airlines targets direct flights to the US as safety bans lift
October 21, 2025
After securing permission to resume flights between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is now turning its attention to restoring air links to the United States.
The move could open up potentially lucrative travel links for the sizeable diaspora of Pakistani nationals that live and work in the US, according to the carrier.
PIA focuses its attention on the USA
According to a report in Gulf News, Pakistan’s Minister of Defence, Khawaja Muhammed Asif, has confirmed that plans are underway to resume direct flights to the US. The announcement comes after Pakistan’s airlines were removed from the EU safety list in July, and granted access to UK airports in September.
Speaking on Pakistan television on 20 October, Asif said that discussions with the American aviation authorities were progressing. Asif expressed his optimism that permission for direct US routes “could be granted soon.”
He also noted that the government-owned carrier is focusing on meeting international safety standards, which could open doors to additional global destinations over time.
A PIA spokesperson added that there is strong demand for non-stop flights from Pakistanis living in North America, describing the potential resumption as a key step for the national carrier.
Currently, travellers between the US and Pakistan are using other airlines with an intermediate connecting stop, usually in Europe or the Middle East, which adds time and inconvenience to journeys.
The airline has already resumed flights between Pakistan and Canada, with Lahore to Toronto flights operating from 2 October after a short delay in preparing its Boeing 777-200ER aircraft for the 14-hour flights.
“Restoring direct flights to the US would significantly reduce travel times for passengers, offer more affordable tickets, and allow PIA to reclaim a lucrative transatlantic market,” said the carrier.
The FAA has completed a safety audit of PIA
According to reports, a team from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US recently visited Pakistan to conduct a safety audit and review regulatory compliance, pilot licensing, and overall flight safety oversight at PIA.
Analysts say that a positive outcome from that audit could lead to PIA regaining US Category 1 status – a prerequisite for operating direct flights to major US hubs such as New York, Washington DC, and Chicago – all potential early targets for PIA.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) prepared extensively for the FAA audit, implementing stricter pilot licensing protocols, strengthening flight safety monitoring, and aligning operations with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
Pakistan – US flights on the table after EU and UK ban is lifted
Over the past five years, both PIA and its regulator have been working flat out to have various flight bans lifted on the airline. These have severely restricted the number of countries to which it could operate.
However, these efforts are now showing dividends with the EU and the UK already lifting their own bans on PIA.
The ban had been imposed on the airline, which was subsequently placed on the EU’s Air Safety List, in the wake of a safety scandal that revealed several Pakistani pilots were flying with fraudulent licenses.
On 3 October, the Pakistani High Commission in London took to social media to announce that the carrier had finally been granted the authority it needed to resume flights between Pakistan and the UK, some five years after having its permit withdrawn over safety fears concerning the carrier.
Having secured its Third Country Operator (TCO) approval for flight operations in the UK, the carrier has already announced its intention to commence direct flights between Pakistan and Manchester Airport (MAN) in the north of the UK on 25 October, to be followed by service to Birmingham (BHX) and an as-yet-unspecified London airport in due course.
PAKISTAN HIGH COMMISSION, LONDON CELEBRATES RESUMPTION OF PIA FLIGHT OPERATIONS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM
— Pakistan High Commission London (@PakistaninUK) October 16, 2025
Pakistan High Commission, London held a ceremony to celebrate resumption of Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) flight operations to the United Kingdom.
The ceremony was… pic.twitter.com/3PdgCwLiok
The move to restart UK flights comes as PIA announced in August an intention to withdraw from its Lahore (LHE) to Paris-Charles De Gaulle (CDG) route. The route was the first European route to be reinstated after the ban on airline flying in European airspace was lifted in 2024.
The route to Paris, which only operated for two months, was dropped for two reasons. Firstly, according to local media, the decision came following disappointing passenger numbers on the weekly service. Secondly, the route used a Boeing 777, which will now be needed to resume services to the UK. The final service on the route took place on 17 September.
International routes are key to PIA privatisation
PIA’s ongoing revival is seen as a key component of its ongoing privatisation process. The government plans to finalise the sale of the carrier by November 2025, with four shortlisted bidders required to form consortia with established airlines to ensure operational stability.
One of the bidders has teamed up with Pakistani private airline Airblue to make its bid.
The move comes amid mounting financial losses at the airline, with the company carrying $2.31 billion in debt. That said, for the first half of 2025, the airline announced that it had made a pre-tax profit of Rs11.5 billion ($40.64 million).
Net profit for the current half-year stood at Rs6.8bn ($24 million). This figure compares favourably to the loss-making position reported by the airline for the same period in 2024.
Between 51% and 100% of PIA shares, along with management control, will be offered to the winning consortium in the final quarter of 2025 once the privatisation process is concluded.
Featured image: SockaGPhoto / stock.adobe.com
