ISLAMABAD: The United States embassy on Tuesday poured cold water on the hopes of the national flag carrier — Pakistan International Airlines — of operating direct flights between Pakistan and the US in the near future.

“There are no imminent plans for direct flights between Pakistan and the United States,” the US embassy said in a statement during the ongoing visit of the officials from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the US government agency responsible for the security of the American transportation system. Security at airports and that of the air traffic is one of TSA’s major responsibilities.

The TSA delegation is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of PIA for an assessment of security standards at Islamabad International Airport. The evaluation of the airport will take place later this week.

The delegation would during the visit to the airport “view Pakistan’s aviation security infrastructure, and meet with their Pakistani civil aviation counterparts,” to “identify international security standards,” the embassy said.

PIA officials had earlier been hoping that the US could allow direct flights between the two countries from this year. This anticipation was based on the interactions between the airline and US authorities over the past couple of years.

The airline was so hopeful about getting US clearance for the operations this year that it was said to have even prepared a flight plan with an initial frequency of three flights per week to and from New York.

The US does not allow direct flight operations from Pakistan because of security concerns. The financially struggling national flag carrier, however, had a deep interest in direct flights to the US. Following requests from Pakistan, TSA had given a plan to the Pakistani Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for improving security at the airports.

Speaking of his interactions in Pakistan, TSA Attaché Daniel McQuaid noted, “Secure international air travel is essential to facilitate trade and connections and fostering stronger bonds between the United States and Pakistan. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority as we explore additional areas of cooperation and the possibility of capacity development.”

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2020