The Pakistan International Airlines flight took off from Islamabad around 1240 pm (0740 GMT) heading for Paris, AFP journalists saw, becoming the only carrier to offer a direct route to and from the European Union.
“I’m nervous and I’m having a lot of anxiety, but I’m hoping it’s gonna be a good flight.”
The disaster was attributed to human error by the pilots and air traffic control, and was followed by allegations that nearly a third of the licences for its pilots were fake or dubious.
In November, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency announced it had lifted the ban, however it remains barred from flying in the UK and the United States.
The airline flies to multiple cities inside Pakistan, including the mountainous north, as well as to the Gulf and Southeast Asia.
PIA, which employs 7,000 people, has long been accused of being bloated and poorly run -- hobbled by unpaid bills, a poor safety record and regulatory issues.
Late last year, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price.
PIA posted losses of $270 million in 2023, according to local media. Its liabilities were nearly $3 billion, about five times the total worth of its assets.
PIA came into being in 1955 when the government nationalised a loss-making commercial airline, and enjoyed rapid growth until the 1990s.
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