Ambassador of France to Pakistan, Nicolas Galey to celebrate the reopening of the PIA route between Islamabad and Paris and the partnership between the PIA and Air France – KLM hosted a reception evening at his residence and underscored the growing cooperation between France and Pakistan in the aviation sector.
The reception was attended by the senior representatives of the PIA including CEO Air Vice Marshal (R) Muhammad Amir Hayat, Director General (DG) Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Nadir Shafi Dar, GM Corporate Communications & Official Spokesperson Abdullah Khan, Manager Coordination to Chief Commercial Officer, Samir Khan and head pilot of the inaugural flight PK 749 from Islamabad to CDG Paris (on January 10, 2025) Captain Asif Gilani.
The PIA is operating two flights a week- (Friday and Sunday) and according to a senior official present at the reception, it is such a huge success that tickets are booked weeks prior to the flight.
Among the guests included ambassadors and diplomats of Spain, Sweden, Norway, Bulgaria, Romania, Belgium, Poland, Austria and other countries. They expressed a feeling of relief over resumption of direct line between Islamabad and the Europe as it would save them trouble of changing planes and bearing the pain of the long hours of wait in transit.
Ambassador Galey echoed their sentiments well when he said that with 7-hour flight time, now travel duration as well as cost of air ticket to Paris and 21 other cities of Europe has been substantially reduced and the PIA tickets to Paris or to the final destinations on Air France-KLM flights more affordable than the options available on other routes, he said, adding, “Time is money, we that and here passengers save time and money both.” The flight of PIA are further connected from Paris to the European cities Berlin, Lisbon, Frankfurt, Manchester, Munich, Rome, Zurich, Barcelona, Dusseldorf, Istanbul, Madrid, Milan, Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Geneva, London, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse under the airline’s partnership with Air France and KLM.
The ambassador quoted a number of fellow diplomats who have travelled by the newly resumed flight and said, “Although I have not yet caught a flight myself, my colleagues at the embassy have spoken highly of the service and punctuality, which is a testament to the dedication of the PIA and its teams.”
After the Karachi tragedy, 4 years nine months ago (May 22, 2020) the Pakistan government and the entire civil aviation sector of the country underwent a complete overhaul and sustained as well as highly professional efforts were made to cooperate with EU Aviation Safety Agency in order to ensure the European and international standards and to reopen the European skies to the PIA.
The PIA CEO AVM Amir Hayat, in his comments, acknowledged the instrumental role played by the French ambassador and his team to make the reopening of the Islamabad-CDG route possible.
The reception, he said, marked not just the return of a vital air link but also the rekindling of a long-standing connection between our two nations.
The PIA CEO complimented the French ambassador and his team for ‘unwavering support and tireless efforts in making this resumption possible.’ Your commitment to strengthening the ties between Pakistan and France has been instrumental in achieving this milestone. I would also like to acknowledge your team that helped us with EASA, the CDG airport authorities led by Mr. Mathew Director of Customer Relations, for their invaluable assistance, the PIA CEO noted at the end of his comment.
