US revokes permission for Pakistan International Airlines to operate

ISLAMABAD: The US has revoked the permission granted to the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate a number of special direct flights to America, a spokesperson for the flag carrier said here, as the fallout from the revelation of Pakistani pilots' alleged dubious licences continues. The authorisation was revoked "due to recent events identified by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority that are of serious concern to aviation safety, specifically matters pertaining to the proper certification of certain Pakistani pilots", Dawn news quoted an email sent to PIA officials by a US-based law firm, as saying on Thursday.

PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan confirmed that the airline had been notified of the permission being withdrawn via email.

The US Department of Transportation had in April granted PIA permission to operate 12 direct flights to the US to repatriate people stranded by the coronavirus pandemic. The airline had until now operated six of the flights to different US cities.

It was the first time that Pakistan's national flag carrier operated direct flights to the US. "It is a setback for us," PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez told Dawn news. (IANS)

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