Pakistan International Airlines has secured formal permission to operate the Boeing 787 in Pakistan for the first time, clearing the way for the wide-body jet to join the national carrier’s fleet and take to the skies within days.
The clearance came after aviation officials completed an inspection of the aircraft at Oslo Airport, where a delegation led by Civil Aviation Authority Director General Nader Shafi Dar examined the jet and gave the go-ahead for its operation in the country.
Two more aircraft are still to pass through the same process, with a second Dreamliner due to be inspected at Oslo Airport on Monday and a third scheduled for inspection at a London airport on November 20.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The first commercial service is already on the calendar, with flight PK-786 set to depart London for Islamabad on October 31 and land in the capital with passengers on November 1. The airline will mark the occasion by introducing a new uniform for its staff on the same day, alongside the launch of operations with the new aircraft.
The milestone follows a deal struck earlier this month between PIA and Norwegian aviation group Norse Atlantic for Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to expand the carrier’s long-haul capacity between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Under the arrangement, announced on October 9, Norse supplies the aircraft along with crew, maintenance and insurance, allowing PIA to add modern wide-body capacity without buying the jets outright. The Dreamliners are the first of their kind to be introduced by a Pakistani airline.
Britain is a crucial market for the flag carrier, which only recently returned to the United Kingdom after a five-year safety ban imposed by European regulators, and the large Pakistani community living there keeps demand for direct flights high. PIA is also working on upgrading the cabins of its Boeing 777 fleet to improve the passenger experience on long-haul routes.
If the remaining inspections stay on schedule, the Dreamliners will hand PIA newer, more efficient aircraft at a moment when it is rebuilding its international network after years of disruption. The real test, however, will be whether the added capacity turns into reliable schedules and a noticeably better journey for passengers on the busy routes between Pakistan and the UK.
