British Department for
Transport to visit Pakistan for restoration of flights
Progress toward the
restoration of direct flights between Pakistan and the United Kingdom (UK) is
underway as the British Department for Transport (DfT) has scheduled a visit to
Pakistan. The DfT delegation is set to visit from August 1 to August 4 to
conduct inspections of flight arrangements and security measures.
During the visit, the head
of the DfT's aviation security agency will lead the delegation in inspecting
various aspects of flight operations at Pakistani airports. These inspections
will cover passengers' check-in procedures, security screenings, immigration
processes, and boarding protocols.
In addition to the DfT's
visit, a delegation from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is
expected to visit Pakistan in September. EASA's delegation will conduct a
thorough audit of Pakistan International Airline (PIA) and the Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA) to review the existing ban on PIA flights to Europe. This ban
was imposed following a fake pilot license scandal in Pakistan, and
successfully clearing the audit could lead to the ban being lifted.
The resumption of direct
flights to European countries, including the UK, holds great significance for
PIA after a three-year ban. The recent legislation passed in Pakistan has
removed the final obstacle for PIA to fly to the UK. Pakistan's Aviation
Minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique, expressed optimism that PIA is likely to resume
flights to Britain in the next three months.
With the progress made on flight restorations, PIA is on track to fly to the UK and Europe once again, subject to clearance from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The resumption of flights to Britain will be a significant milestone for Pakistan's national carrier and improve air connectivity between the two countries.
Source: ARY News