UK CAA may lift ban on flights of Pakistani airlines
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has indicated its intention to remove
Pakistani airlines from the UK Air Safety List “in the near future.” However,
it will not immediately follow the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s
(EASA) recent decision to lift its ban on Pakistan International Airlines
(PIA).
EASA ended its four-year suspension of PIA flights to Europe on Nov. 29,
citing renewed confidence in the oversight capabilities of the Pakistan Civil
Aviation Authority (PCAA). The ban on PIA flights to the EU and UK, imposed in
May 2020, followed the crash of Flight 8303, an Airbus A320-200 flying from
Lahore to Karachi, which resulted in 97 fatalities. The incident exposed
concerns about the validity of pilots’ licenses issued in Pakistan, including
those held by PIA pilots.
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agency lifts ban on Pakistani flights to Europe
In a statement provided to Aviation Week, the UK CAA acknowledged
the importance of air connectivity between the UK and Pakistan, highlighting
the economic and cultural ties such routes support. However, the agency
emphasized that a rigorous safety case must first be established. “While we support
the restoration of such connections as soon as practicable, the circumstances
that led to the suspension of these services require a robust safety
assessment,” the CAA said.
The authority confirmed ongoing engagement with the PCAA but has not set a
specific timeline for lifting the ban. Despite the lack of immediate action,
the CAA expressed optimism that a recommendation to remove Pakistan from the UK
Air Safety List would be forthcoming “in the near future.”
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Department for Transport to visit Pakistan for restoration of flights
Prior to the suspension in 2020, PIA operated seven nonstop routes between
Pakistan and the UK, including services to London Heathrow from Islamabad,
Karachi, Lahore, and Sialkot. The airline also flew from Islamabad to
Manchester, Lahore to Manchester, and Islamabad to Birmingham.
Currently, the only nonstop flights between the UK and Pakistan are operated
by British Airways, which offers twice-weekly services between London Heathrow
and Islamabad using Boeing 777 aircraft.
Source: https://aviationweek.com/