Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to lease out its London Heathrow slots to other carriers for the IATA 2023 summer season due to the ongoing blacklist of all Pakistani carriers

by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). PIA's decision to lend its slots is a strategic move to comply with the terms of its slot contract, as the CAA banned PIA in 2020 following a pilot license forgery scandal.

During the IATA 2023 summer season, PIA has surrendered six weekly slot pairs to Vietnam Airlines between April 1 and October 2023, and ten weekly slot pairs to Kuwait Airways between March 26 and October 22, 2023. These slots are made available to airlines at London Heathrow based on a "use-it-or-lose-it" basis, requiring airlines to utilize them at least 70% of the time.

In Islamabad, there are plans to have the flight ban lifted and resume PIA's flights to London. The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) recently announced its intention to outsource the operations and management of Islamabad International, Lahore International, and Karachi International airports to attract much-needed hard currency into the country. This move will be carried out through a public-private partnership model.

The finance minister, Ishaq Dar, aims to conclude the outsourcing program for Islamabad International Airport by August 12, and he is also pushing for amendments to Pakistan's civil aviation laws and a restructuring plan for PIA by the end of July. Meeting these deadlines is crucial as it would facilitate on-the-ground assessments of PIA's operational processes and procedures by regulators from the European Union, United States, and the United Kingdom in August, potentially leading to the resumption of flights to those jurisdictions.

Overall, PIA's leasing of its Heathrow slots and Pakistan's efforts to outsource airport operations demonstrate the country's focus on improving its aviation sector, enhancing safety records, and addressing regulatory concerns to regain access to international air travel markets. Photo by Sidowpknbkhihj, Wikimedia commons.