PIA signs cargo partnership with Air France–KLM to expand global reach

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has secured a strategic cargo partnership with Air France–KLM, deepening its global freight connectivity at a time when the national carrier is also undergoing major institutional change.

The cargo agreement, effective from January 15, grants PIA Cargo access to the Air France–KLM global network. Under this arrangement, exporters will be able to dispatch consignments across Europe and the United States using a single air waybill that covers both PIA and the Air France–KLM system.

PIA Cargo will link 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 broader 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 weekly from January 10, reflects strengthened bilateral ties and improved connectivity between Pakistan and Europe.

The ambassador observed that the route and the Air France–KLM partnership provide streamlined connections to some 21 European destinations, with associated benefits for economic and cultural exchange.

The cargo pact and expanded passenger links coincide with the conclusion of PIA’s privatisation 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 per cent stake in PIA through a competitive bidding process.

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PM Shehbaz described the transparent process as a milestone in Pakistan’s privatisation agenda and expressed confidence that the new ownership would invest in service quality and reconnect the airline with its historical prominence.

The expanded cargo network, the resumption of direct European flights and the transition to private-sector management point to a renewed focus on strengthening PIA’s role in supporting trade and travel between Pakistan and key global markets.