THE United Kingdom has lifted restrictions on Pakistani airlines, ending a five-year ban on the country's national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the UK embassy in Islamabad said on Wednesday.
PIA was barred from operating in the UK in June 2020, a month after one of its aircraft crashed into a street in Karachi, killing nearly 100 people. The crash was linked to human error by both the pilots and air traffic controllers. The incident was followed by allegations that nearly one-third of Pakistani pilots held fake or dubious licences.
The UK Air Safety Committee decided to lift the ban following improvements in aviation safety in Pakistan, the British High Commission in Islamabad said. It added that decisions on de-listing states and air carriers were made “through an independent aviation safety process”.
“Based on this independent and technically-driven process, it has decided to remove Pakistan and its air carriers from the (UK Air Safety) List,” the statement said.
This development follows the European Union lifting a four-year ban on PIA earlier in the year, which led to the resumption of PIA’s flights to Europe in January.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the UK’s decision “an important milestone for the country”.
“The lifting of the ban on Pakistani flights by the UK is a source of relief for Pakistanis residing in Britain,” he said in a statement.
PIA said it planned to resume flights to Britain in “the shortest possible time”, starting with services from Islamabad to Manchester.
Aviation minister Khawaja Asif said the ban had caused financial losses. “Confidence is being restored in Pakistani airlines once again,” he said during a press conference in Islamabad.
PIA, which has 7,000 employees, has faced long-standing issues, including unpaid bills, safety concerns, and regulatory challenges. The government has stated it is committed to privatising the debt-laden airline and has been looking for a buyer.
In 2024, a deal failed after a potential buyer reportedly offered far less than the asking price.
PIA was established in 1955 when the government took over a struggling commercial airline. It grew rapidly until the 1990s.
(With inputs from agencies)
