KARACHI: Besides PIA, another Pakistani airline, Airblue is now eyeing entry into the UK flight market, following the recent lifting of a five-year ban on Pakistani carriers.
Earlier this week, the United Kingdom officially removed Pakistan from its air safety list, clearing the way for Pakistani airlines to resume flight operations in British airspace.
According to sources, Airblue has submitted a written application to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) seeking approval to operate flights between Islamabad and Manchester, starting in August.
Airblue is a private airline operating domestic and international flights to Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had already submitted its application earlier and has begun preparations to resume direct UK operations. In the first phase, PIA plans to operate three weekly flights to Manchester using its Boeing 777 fleet.
Both airlines are now awaiting formal approval from the UK’s CAA to launch their services.
PIA’s authorisation to operate in the EU was suspended in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.