PIA’s UK ban stays in place as air safety restrictions persist
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will remain banned from flying to the United Kingdom, as the UK Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed on Tuesday that the air safety ban will continue, dashing hopes for a quick return after a four-year hiatus.
A spokesperson for the DfT explained
that airlines must undergo a rigorous process to have such restrictions lifted
and added that the UK Civil Aviation Authority is in ongoing talks with
Pakistani authorities regarding the situation.
The UK Air Safety List includes
airlines and countries prohibited from operating commercial flights to and from
the UK due to safety concerns.
According to the official UK
government website, "All air carriers certified by the authorities
responsible for regulating Pakistan are banned from operating commercial air
services to, from, and within the United Kingdom."
Read More EASA
keeps ban on PIA flights to Europe
This update comes shortly after
reports that the British Air Safety Committee had been considering lifting the
ban, leading to renewed optimism among Pakistani officials.
The ban, originally imposed in July
2020, followed a major scandal involving the operation of numerous Pakistani
pilots with fraudulent licenses. This issue was revealed by then-aviation
minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, following a tragic crash of a PIA Airbus A-320 in
Karachi that killed nearly 100 people.
In the aftermath, the UK, European
Union, and United States imposed bans on PIA, resulting in severe financial
losses for the airline, with an estimated Rs40 billion ($144 million) in annual
revenue lost.
Despite this setback, PIA made a
small breakthrough in January 2025 with the resumption of direct flights to
Europe, marking a flight from Islamabad to Paris.
Abdullah Hafeez Khan, a spokesperson
for PIA, expressed the airline’s ambition, stating that once the DfT clears the
ban, PIA is eager to restore services to London, Manchester, and Birmingham,
which are in high demand.
Read More Pakistan’s
high-level committee identifies various factors behind PIA’s EU flight ban
Meanwhile, the Pakistani government
has pushed forward with plans to privatize PIA. The Associated Press of
Pakistan reported that a fast-tracked privatization plan was approved in a meeting
chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar in Islamabad.
The Cabinet Committee on Privatization
(CCOP) has approved the plan, which includes selling a 51-100% stake in the
airline, along with management control. Deputy Prime Minister Dar emphasized
the government’s commitment to privatizing PIA to unlock its potential and
reduce the financial burden on the national treasury.
Source: ARY News