Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) expects to resume direct flights to the United States from May this year "subject to a final clearance by the US Transportation Security Administration", the national flag carrier's Spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez told a private TV channel on Wednesday.

Abdullah Hafeez said Pakistan had complied with all recommendations of the transport authority, such as using screening machines at major airports including Islamabad and Karachi.

He said negotiations between the US administration and the national airline had been underway for two years, adding that "from our end we have taken all measures that were advised". A delegation of the US transport authority is expected to issue a final clearance in May, he said.

He said PIA had already readied a flight plan according to which initially three flights a week will take off for New York, but the number will be increased with time.

According to the PIA official, the US transport security authority had conducted an audit of security arrangements of the PIA fleet and at the country's major airports. US homeland security had also visited Pakistan in this regard, he said.

© Pakistan Press International, source Asianet-Pakistan