Russia ready to service flights of Pakistan's national carrier - deputy transport minister

MOSCOW. Dec 4 (Interfax) - Russia expects direct air links with Pakistan to be opened and is ready to service flights from the country's national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Deputy Transport Minister and State Secretary Dmitry Zverev said.

"Aviation authorities will hold consultations today. We will be genuinely pleased on the one hand about the opening of direct flights between our capitals, and on the other hand we look forward to the gradual expansion of the flight network and their frequency. And of course, we will be happy to see Pakistan International Airlines at Russian airports," Zverev said at a meeting of the Pakistani-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Wednesday.

In late November, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted a four-year ban on PIA flights to Europe. The ban was imposed in June 2020 following a crash involving an Airbus A320 operated by the airline in Karachi, which resulted in 97 deaths, as well as a scandal involving fake pilot licenses. Pakistani aviation authorities have addressed the identified issues and improved flight safety oversight, EASA said.

PIA announced plans to resume flights to Europe in the coming weeks, starting with Paris and followed by an expansion of the route network to London, Manchester and Birmingham. The ban led to annual losses for the airline of around 40 billion Pakistani rupees or approximately $144 million.