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Ethiopian Airlines is set to restore its Karachi route after nearly two decades with its first direct flight to the port city on May 9, 2023, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed.
In April, the airline had announced that it will be returning to Karachi in May as it has finalized its preparations.
From July 1966 to December 1971, it provided service to the city, and then again from June 1993 to July 2004.
Ethiopian Airlines is pleased to announce that it has finalized preparations to launch four-times weekly direct flights to Karachi, Pakistan, as of May 8, 2023. #FlyEthiopianan pic.twitter.com/LKNIKpGRrf
— Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) April 16, 2023
After completing the necessary steps, the airline will now run four weekly direct flights to Karachi.
The development occurs while foreign airlines are having difficulty running operations in Pakistan. In a recent announcement, Virgin Atlantic stated that it has “reviewed its entire network and decided to make a few changes” and will therefore be discontinuing service between London Heathrow and Lahore and Islamabad.
Similarly, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade association of global airlines, also warned in March that Pakistan has become “very challenging” to serve as carriers struggle to repatriate dollars.
Last year in December, the IATA said Pakistan stood among the top markets where airline funds have been blocked from repatriation.
