MANCHESTER: In a major development for the Pak-British community, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority has granted permission to Norse Atlantic, a UK-based scheduled airline, to operate direct flights between the United Kingdom and Pakistan. The airline will operate these flights as part of a joint venture with HB International Airlines (HBIA) Pakistan.
A formal notification to this effect has been issued, and Norse Atlantic has been asked to submit flight schedule plans to operate direct flights to Islamabad from London Gatwick, Birmingham, and Manchester.
This development is expected to provide much-needed convenience and strengthen ties between the two countries. The initiative fulfills a long-standing demand from the Pak-British community, who have been seeking convenient and direct travel options between the UK and Pakistan for years.
Earlier, Norse Atlantic submitted a formal application to the CAA and the Aviation Ministry of Pakistan, seeking permission to operate weekly non-stop flights to Islamabad from Gatwick, Birmingham, and Manchester. The request was approved after thorough scrutiny, and a formal notification has been issued. The CAA has also asked the airline to submit its flight schedule.
It is pertinent to mention here that flight operations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom were halted after the irresponsible statement by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan in 2020 regarding dubious pilot licenses, which resulted in severe financial losses to Pakistan International Airlines.
The controversy arose after the crash of PIA flight PK-8303 in Karachi on May 22, 2020. In its aftermath, Ghulam Sarwar, then serving as aviation minister in the Imran Khan-led government, announced the suspension of 262 pilots, alleging they had obtained licenses through fraudulent means.
During a session in parliament, Ghulam Sarwar claimed that 150 PIA pilots were flying with questionable credentials, followed by another statement claiming that the qualifications of 262 pilots in the country were “dubious.”
Following the startling revelations, debt-ridden PIA was banned in June 2020 from flying to the European Union, United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Pakistani community abroad not only faced difficulties due to this ban but also expressed their resentment over the irresponsible statements by the then aviation minister.
After hectic efforts, the Pakistani government has successfully convinced EU countries to resume flight operations to Pakistan.
The Pakistani community abroad has expressed great pleasure at the start of Norse Atlantic UK’s flight operations as part of a joint venture with HBIA Pakistan. They said the flight operations will also help both countries enhance trade and business opportunities in various fields.
