Resumption of Pakistan-UK flights linked to TCO
license
More than a month after the UK
Department for Transport (DfT) lifted restrictions on Pakistani carriers,
direct flights between Pakistan and the United Kingdom remain suspended, with
no confirmed restart date.
Industry sources say the main
obstacle is the pending Third Country Operator (TCO) license, a mandatory
requirement for operating flights to the UK. The issue has sparked
blame-shifting between the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Pakistan
International Airlines (PIA), and private operators over who bears
responsibility for securing the clearance.
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Officials at the CAA insist the onus lies with airlines, stressing that their role was limited to facilitating the removal of UK restrictions. Airline executives, however, argue that TCO authorization is granted at the country level and should therefore be pursued by the regulator.
“Pakistani airlines have not yet
received formal TCO approval from the UK,” a PIA spokesperson confirmed, adding
that a schedule would be announced immediately once clearance is obtained.
Private carriers also said they had
completed flight planning and were awaiting the license to begin operations.
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Tentative restart dates — August 14, August 16, and early September — were previously floated but failed to materialize.
Source: Express Tribune