Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced that it has obtained Third Country Operator (TCO) certification, clearing the way for the national carrier to resume flights to the United Kingdom from next month.
The development comes after the UK removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List in July, following an aviation security inspection at Islamabad International Airport. The UK’s Department for Transport declared Pakistan’s security systems “satisfactory” and consistent with global standards.
With the new certification in hand, PIA will be able to operate direct passenger and cargo services. The airline said its first flights would head to Manchester, with services to Birmingham and London expected to follow shortly.
PIA also confirmed that the UK’s Department for Transport had granted its Security and Cargo ACC3 certification for five years on the same day the TCO approval was issued. The carrier described these certificates as an expression of confidence by international aviation bodies in its operational and safety standards.
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In a message on X, PIA thanked the prime minister, the foreign minister, the defense ministry, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan for supporting its efforts to restore UK operations.
PIA flights had been barred from the UK, European Union, and United States in June 2020, a month after an Airbus A320 crashed in Karachi’s Model Colony, claiming nearly 100 lives. The suspension was compounded by revelations that 262 pilots were flying with questionable licenses, a controversy exposed by then-aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.
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While the EU lifted its ban in November 2024, the UK’s green light now marks another milestone in PIA’s long road back to international skies.
