PIA exporters will use a single air waybill to access the Air France–KLM international cargo network
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has secured a strategic cargo partnership with Air France-KLM, deepening its global cargo connectivity at a time when the national carrier is also undergoing major institutional changes.
The cargo agreement, which comes into effect on 15 January, gives PIA Cargo access to Air France-KLM’s global network. Under this arrangement, exporters will be able to send shipments across Europe and the US using a single air waybill covering both the PIA and the Air France-KLM system.
PIA Cargo will connect to the wider network via regional hubs including Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam, with key destinations such as Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf, as well as New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles now reachable through the combined network.
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The partnership builds on wider PIA initiatives to restore and expand international operations. French Ambassador Nicolas Galey has indicated that the recent resumption of direct flights between Islamabad and Paris, operating twice a week from January 10, reflects strengthened bilateral ties and improved relations between Pakistan and Europe.
The ambassador noted that the route and the Air France-KLM partnership provide streamlined connections to some 21 European destinations with attendant benefits for economic and cultural exchange.
The cargo pact and expanded passenger services coincide with the completion of PIA’s privatization process. In late January, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over a ceremony in Islamabad marking the signing of transaction documents between the government and the Arif Habib consortium, which acquired a 75 percent stake in PIA through a tender process.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz described the transparent process as a milestone in Pakistan’s privatization agenda and expressed confidence that the new ownership would invest in service quality and reconnect the airline to its historical prominence.
The expanded cargo network, the resumption of direct European flights and the transition to private management point to a renewed focus on strengthening PIA’s role in supporting trade and travel between Pakistan and key global markets.
