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The UK has lifted a years-long ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) following improvements in the country’s aviation safety standards, the British diplomatic mission in Islamabad said on Wednesday.
Britain’s Air Safety Committee imposed the ban after Pakistan’s aviation minister disclosed in 2020 that nearly one-third of the country’s pilots had cheated on their licensing exams.
That claim came after a PIA crash killed 97 people on 22 May 2020 in the southern city of Karachi.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said that after “extensive engagement” between the UK’s Air Safety Committee and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, restrictions on PIA have now been lifted.
However, Marriott said individual airlines will still need to apply for operating permits from the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
“I’m grateful to aviation experts in both the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to meet international safety standards,” she said.
“While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends.”
The high commission emphasised that decisions on delisting countries or carriers from the UK Air Safety List are made through an independent safety process overseen by the Air Safety Committee.
Reconnecting families
With more than 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK, and thousands of British nationals residing in Pakistan, it said the move will help families to reconnect and potentially boost bilateral trade ties.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif welcomed the decision.
Speaking at a televised news conference on Wednesday, he attributed the ban to what he described as “baseless” remarks made by former Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.
He said Khan’s claim tarnished the country’s image and triggered significant financial losses for PIA.
Wednesday’s announcement follows a broader international recognition of Pakistan’s efforts to improve air safety.
Earlier this year, the EU Aviation Safety Agency also lifted its five-year ban, allowing PIA to resume direct flights to Europe.
Additional sources • AP
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