In a major breakthrough, PIA has received the “Air Cargo Carrier Three (ACC3)” certificate from the UK Department for Transport, which will remain valid for the next five years, until 2030.

With the issuance of this certificate, PIA can now operate cargo flights from Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad to the UK, strengthening trade connectivity between the two countries.

The approval came after an on-site inspection jointly conducted by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and a British audit team.

According to PIA, cargo flights will commence in October, starting with Manchester, and will later expand to Birmingham and London.

However, in a setback for PIA regarding direct passenger flights, the national airline failed to secure the Third Country Operator (TCO) licence, while private airline Airblue has been granted this permission.

Sources indicate that PIA is currently facing a shortage of aircraft, whereas Airblue’s Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft will fly to the UK via a refuelling stop in Türkiye.

It is worth noting that in July 2025, the UK lifted a years-old ban on PIA after improvements were observed in Pakistan’s civil aviation security.

The ban was originally imposed in 2020 following a PIA plane crash in Karachi, after which the then minister for aviation revealed that one-third of the country’s pilots held dubious licences.