Islamabad:
Despite the Restrictions on the British Department for Transport (DFT) on Pakistani airlines over a month ago, direct flights between Pakistan and the United Kingdom have not yet resumed, officials unable to provide a final date.
According to sources, the main obstacle lies in the failure to obtain the compulsory license of the third-party country operator (TCO), without which direct operations in the United Kingdom cannot begin. Responsibility for obtaining the license has become a discord point, with civil aviation Authority (CAA), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and private carriers reproducing.
The issue of TCO is the responsibility of airlines, not the CAA, said initiates of the aviation regulator. However, airline officials argue that the authorization is granted at the country level and is therefore the scope of the CAA.
The CAA spokesperson said that the authority’s mandate was limited to facilitate the abolition of restrictions, which has already been obtained.
“Currently, Pakistani airlines have not officially received approval from the United Kingdom TCO,” said the spokesperson for the PIA, adding that a flight schedule would be issued immediately.
Private airlines also confirmed that they were waiting for TCO approval, noting that they had completed their planning.
Earlier, the dates of August 14, August 16 and the first week of September were floated for the resumption of flights, but none had materialized.
