ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been granted licenses to operate passenger flights to the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Xian, the Pakistani state media reported on Sunday. 

Previously, the Pakistani flag carrier only had an operating license for Beijing. The licenses granted by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) have now enabled the PIA to start scheduling passenger flights to Guangzhou and Xian.  

As per the current standard operating procedure of CAAC, international carriers can operate one weekly flight to China, the state-run APP news agency reported. 

“After a change in current standard operating procedure of CAAC, we have an option to start our schedule flights for Guangzhou and Xian also,” the report quoted PIA Country Manager Qadir Bux Sangi as saying. 

PIA had also been operating weekly flight PK854-855 by using Xian as first entry point for Beijing, which was suspended due to Covid-19 pandemic. 

About the resumption of Islamabad-Xian-Beijing-Islamabad flights, he said the local government in Xian had been requested for the permission to resume flights to Xian as per the previous schedule. 

“We are waiting for the formal approval for resumption of flights so that we can facilitate travelers from both countries,” Sangi was quoted as saying. 

He said the Pakistani flag carrier had also applied for a license to operate flights to China's Chengdu station, which was under process. Sangi hoped it would be granted by the next month. 

About cargo flights, the PIA country manager said Chinese authorities had granted approval for the PIA to operate chartered cargo flights to Kunming and Shenzhen cities, while approval for Kashgar, Xinjiang was under process. 

He said these chartered cargo flights would help enhance trade activities between both the countries.