European Agency clears PIA
in remote audit, physical audit to follow in September
The Pakistan International
Airlines (PIA) has achieved a significant milestone as the European Aviation
Safety Agency (EASA) has cleared the airline in its remote audit, marking
progress in the resumption of PIA's flights to European destinations.
Sources reveal that the
online audit by EASA was
conducted a few months ago, and the agency will now
visit Pakistan in September to carry out a physical audit of both PIA and the
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The successful completion
of the final audit is expected to pave the way for PIA's flights to be restored
in Europe, a move that will prove highly advantageous for the national carrier.
It's worth noting that PIA's flights to European countries had been suspended
since June 2020 after a series of setbacks, including the PK-8303 crash in
Karachi on May 22, 2020, and the grounding of 262 pilots due to suspicions of
exam dodging.
The Pakistani government
responded to the European Union's demand to rectify past deficiencies, leading
to the suspension of flight operations to Europe and other destinations
following the fake pilot license scandal in 2020. To comply with the EU's
requirements, the government passed two laws—the Pakistan Civil Aviation Act,
2023, and the Pakistan Airports Authority Act, 2023. These legislative moves
are aimed at facilitating PIA's return to the skies, connecting Europe, the UK,
the US, and other nations.
Federal Aviation Minister
Khawaja Saad Rafique has recently stated that PIA is likely to resume flights
to the UK within the next three months, as the final obstacle has been removed
by new legislation passed this week. However, the resumption of services to
European destinations is not included in the immediate plans. The minister has
assured that PIA's flights to Europe and the US will resume following the UK
route.
The bills passed by the
National Assembly entail the bifurcation of the CAA into two entities—one
responsible for regulating civil aviation activities in Pakistan and the other
for providing civil aviation services and developing aviation infrastructure in
the country. The CAA will take on the regulatory functions, while the Pakistan
Airports Authority (PAA) will handle the commercial and operational aspects of
airports.
As PIA moves forward with
the physical audit in September, hopes are high for the national carrier's
return to the skies and the restoration of its flights to Europe and beyond.
Source: Express Tribune