Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will resume flights to the United Kingdom as the government lifts its ban on Pakistani Airlines after five years. UK authorities removed Pakistan from their Air Safety List following rigorous security checks.
PIA UK Flights Scheduled to Resume Soon
On Wednesday, 16 July, the British High Commission announced that the ban on Pakistani airlines would be lifted after five years, and flights between the two countries would resume. Jane Marriott, the UK High Commissioner to Pakistan, said that the UK’s Air Safety Committee was lifting this ban on Pakistani Airlines “after a sustained, independent, and technically driven process.” Though it would be some time before flights resumed, the UK High Commissioner praised the Pakistani Civil Aviation Authority for its safety improvements. The PIA, following this announcement, said that it was all set to resume flights to the region.
Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, showed a positive response on X (former Twitter) after the decision was announced:
“With over 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK and thousands of British nationals in Pakistan, today’s announcement brings long-awaited relief and new opportunities for families and friends to reunite. As Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, this ease in travel between the UK and Pakistan will help this vital trade relationship grow manifold.”
More about the Pakistani Airlines Ban
The ban was put on Pakistan Airlines back in 2020, following a PIA plane crash that took 97 lives, and revealed that fake pilot licenses were issued in the country, posing major aviation security risks, as per reports. The crash happened in late May 2020, and after the crash investigation, it was revealed that the pilots operating the flight had fake licenses. Further investigation showed that over 250 pilots in the country did not pass the exam themselves but had someone else sit for them instead.
After continuous security improvements, the UK Air Safety community finally agreed for PIA flights to resume to the UK. The potential privatisation of the PIA, as the authorities seek to sell at least 51% of its stake, is a chance for the airline to restore its reputation and value.
