National flag carrier’s spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez has said that security audit has been conducted by the US Homeland security and the US authorities will issue “clearance” very soon.
ISLAMABAD: (Urdu Point/Pakistan Point News-Jan 22nd, 2020) Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is likely to resume its direct flights to the United States from May this year after clearance of the US Transportation Security Administration, the national flag carrier’s spokesperson said here on Wednesday.
According to the PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez, Pakistan used screening machines at major airports including Islamabad and Karachi in compliance of US recommendations.
Hafeez said that the US and the administration of the PIA had been negotiating the matter for last two years. “We have complied with all measures asked by the US and a US delegation is also expected to issue final clearance in May this year,” he further said.
He went on to say that PIA had already readied a flight plan under which initially three flights would take off every week for New York but the umber would be increased this time.
The spokesperson also said an audit of security arrangements of the PIA fleet had already been conducted. Similarly, the country’s major airports had also gone through the security audit, he added. He stated that the US homeland security had also visited Pakistan in this regard. Previously, the US did not allow any direct flight from Pakistan to the US due to security reasons.
It may also be mentioned here that the PIA had discontinued its flights to the US, because of rising operational cost and in a bid to cut losses it had been facing.
