PIA resumes Lahore to Paris flights after five years

LAHORE: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed direct flights from Lahore to Paris after a gap of five years, with the first weekly flight departing on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the PIA spokesperson, PIA flight PK-733 took off from Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore at noon, carrying 276 passengers to the French capital.

“The service will now operate once a week from Lahore, while PIA is already running two weekly flights from Islamabad to Paris,” he said.

The flight was operated using a Boeing 777 aircraft, which recently underwent a full cabin refurbishment to enhance passenger comfort.

The spokesperson said that to mark the occasion, a modest but graceful ceremony was held at the Lahore airport, where a cake-cutting event took place. Passengers were seen off by PIA CEO Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, PIA COO Khurram Mushtaq, French Embassy Head of Mission Frank Aubret, and senior aviation officials.

The resumed route is part of the national carrier’s efforts to restore its international network and improve services on long-haul destinations, he added.

PIA had resumed direct flights to Paris in January with first flight to Paris, carrying 323 passengers, departed from Islamabad International Airport on Jan 10.

The PIA flights to Europe resumed after the European Union authorities lifted a four-year ban on the carrier last year in December.

PIA, the debt-ridden national flag carrier, operates under Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL), a public limited company.

The government, which owns around 96 percent of PIA’s shares through PIA Holding Company Limited, is striving to privatise the airline due to its continued decline in performance, which has placed a heavy burden on the national exchequer.

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However, privatisation efforts have been in limbo for years, with the government repeatedly extending bid submission deadlines.

The most recent extension, announced on May 27, moved the deadline to June 19.