The UK’s Air Safety Committee is set to meet on Thursday, March 20, to discuss the potential lifting of the five-year ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other Pakistani carriers. The committee will review the status of Pakistani airlines, which have been prohibited from operating in the UK and Europe since July 2020 following the fake pilot license scandal that raised serious concerns about aviation safety standards in Pakistan.
Sources suggest that officials from Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are hopeful for a positive outcome from today’s meeting. “With the recent resumption of flights to Europe, we hope the UK will follow suit and restore operations for Pakistani airlines,” a CAA official remarked.
The ban, imposed by both European and British regulators, was a direct response to issues surrounding the licensing and certification of pilots. This restriction has severely impacted Pakistan’s aviation sector, limiting direct flight services to the UK and Europe.
If the committee decides to lift the ban, Pakistani airlines may soon be allowed to resume flights to British airports, marking a significant recovery for the country’s aviation industry.
