Web desk: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Wednesday that it has obtained Third Country Operator (TCO) certification from UK authorities, clearing the way for the resumption of its passenger operations to Britain as early as next month.
The airline confirmed the development in a post on its official X account, where it also thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, the Ministry of Defence, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), and other partner institutions for their support.
#PIA gets TCO Certification from #UK. Plan to resume UK operations by next month.
— PIA (@Official_PIA) September 24, 2025
CEO PIA thanks @PakPMO, @MIshaqDar50, @KhawajaMAsif, Ministry of Defence, @official_pcaa & other affiliated institutions for their patronage and unwavering support.
Separately, a letter issued by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) granted PIA permanent approval to operate cargo flights from Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi to Britain.
These designations, under the UK’s ACC3 aviation security framework, will remain valid until August 2030.
The letter, addressed to PIA CEO AVM Mohammad Amir Hayat, also confirmed that explosive detection systems (EDS) will no longer be mandatory for screening UK-bound cargo from Islamabad and Lahore.
However, British authorities reserved the right to carry out surprise inspections of PIA’s security and operational procedures.
PIA flights to the UK and Europe were suspended in July 2020 after the pilot licence scandal triggered a ban by European and British aviation regulators.
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