Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to limit its flight operations to Paris, Europe.
According to PIA sources, the airline has decided to suspend flights between Lahore and Paris. The last Paris-to-Lahore flight will depart on September 12, while the final Lahore-to-Paris flight will operate on September 17. However, two-way flights between Islamabad and Paris will continue.
A PIA spokesperson said that during September and October, the airline’s operational fleet will be reduced as aircraft undergo refurbishment.
Sources revealed that out of PIA’s fleet of 12 Boeing 777 aircraft, 7 are already grounded. These aircraft are typically used for routes to Saudi Arabia, Paris, and Toronto.
Earlier this month, one of PIA’s aircraft was grounded in Paris due to a technical fault, causing losses of thousands of dollars to the airline. The incident severely disrupted the flight schedule from Paris to both Lahore and Islamabad, leaving many passengers stranded.
According to sources, the grounding was caused by an engine malfunction in a Boeing 777, forcing the aircraft to remain at Paris Airport. Along with financial losses, the disruption also caused serious inconvenience for passengers traveling to Pakistan.
It is worth mentioning that PIA has resumed Lahore-Paris flight in June five years after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted ban on its operations in Europe.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and UK authorities had suspended permission for PIA to operate in the region in June 2020 after Pakistan began investigating the validity of pilots’ licenses following a deadly plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people.
