Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday said the government was committed to making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) a profitable institution.
He made these remarks during a ceremony at Islamabad International Airport to mark the national flag carrier’s maiden flight from the capital to the United Kingdom (UK) after a gap of almost five years.
Last month, the airline received third-country operator approval for the United Kingdom. The news came after Britain’s Department of Transport concluded that safety measures in the country were “satisfactory and in line with international standards.” Flight operations to Manchester are resuming in the first phase, with plans to extend them to Birmingham and London in the second.
“After a long and difficult delay of five years, today the resumption of flights from Islamabad to Manchester is a feat that we have achieved thanks to our hard work and determination,” Asif said.
“This success is not a coincidence, but a living testimony to the priorities, strong leadership and efforts of the government,” he said. The minister said the country’s image suffered greatly when the national airline faced international bans.
“We take it as a national challenge. The government, without wasting a single moment, empowered and provided resources to the country’s aviation organizations,” he said.
“To meet the standards of the world’s strictest aviation bodies, we completely restructured pilot training, licensing system, aircraft maintenance and safety protocols,” he added.
“It is with great pride that we have raised our standards to such a level that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) restored its confidence in PIA,” the minister said.
Asif also expressed gratitude to Pakistani diplomats and staff based in Britain and Europe, saying they “presented Pakistan’s case effectively at the diplomatic level, provided evidence and maintained ongoing engagement” with relevant authorities.
He said their persistent efforts had enabled the national airline to resume regular flight operations.
“I would especially like to thank the staff of the British High Commission in Pakistan and their team leader Jean Marriott,” he said, adding that they also helped speed up the process and remove obstacles.
“Their cooperation highlights the strong friendship between the two countries,” he said. The minister added that the government was committed to making PIA a profitable institution so that it could support the economy instead of being a burden.
The minister said the flights to Manchester were an “excellent start” but the government will not stop there. “We plan that flights to London and Birmingham will also begin after Manchester,” he said.
The minister directed the management of PIA to ensure safety, punctuality and customer satisfaction. “Let us pledge today to make PIA reach the status it once achieved,” he said.
EASA had banned PIA from operating in EU countries in June 2020 over safety concerns after a flight from Lahore to Karachi crashed near Jinnah International Airport, killing around 100 passengers.
The flight ban came after then Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan stated in Parliament that pilot licenses were “dubious”.
The EASA lifted the ban after more than four years on November 28 last year. In July 2025, the United Kingdom removed Pakistan from its Aviation Safety List, allowing Pakistani airlines to apply to operate flights into Britain.
