PIA’s direct UK flights hit a snag as CAA fails to secure TCO permit

LAHORE: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)’s plan to launch direct flights from Pakistan to the UK has hit a snag after the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) failed to secure timely approval of the Third Country Operator (TCO) permit from British authorities.

In July, the United Kingdom lifted its ban on Pakistani airlines, allowing them to resume flight operations after over five years.

According to PIA officials, flights cannot operate until the TCO approval was granted. It has been over a month since the UK lifted restrictions on Pakistani airlines, but the CAA has yet to obtain the required clearance, which remains a major obstacle to launching direct flights.

UK High Commissioner Jane Marriott, who travelled on a PIA domestic flight from Islamabad to Karachi after the ban was lifted, had expressed her wish to fly to Manchester on PIA’s first direct UK flight. However, that plan has yet to materialise.

Sources said both PIA and private carrier Airblue were set to resume direct UK operations from August, but the process stalled due to the missing TCO approval — a responsibility that rests with the CAA.

In response, CAA spokesperson Shahid Qadir said its mandate was limited to the lifting of restrictions and that efforts were now focused on resuming flights to the United States. A five-member US safety delegation is currently in Pakistan and has been briefed on all matters.

Shahid Qadir said Pakistani airlines have not yet received formal TCO approval from the UK. “Once approval is granted, we will issue the schedule for direct UK flights. While awaiting clearance, we have already completed our operational planning,” the spokesperson said.

He said that CAA Director General Nadir Shafi Dar was personally overseeing the issue and assured that “good news” on US operations would follow soon.