Karachi (TDI): The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has lifted a four-year ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Defence and Aviation Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif announced on Friday.
He praised the efforts of all officials involved in achieving this breakthrough.
The suspension of PIA’s flights to Europe was imposed in 2020 following a tragic crash in Karachi that killed 97 people, coupled with a controversial statement from a former Pakistani aviation minister alleging that nearly 40 percent of local pilots held “dubious” licenses.
This raised global concerns about Pakistan’s aviation safety oversight, leading to the grounding of PIA’s European operations.
The ban exacerbated PIA’s financial woes, contributing to its ongoing losses and tarnished reputation.
It also hampered the government’s efforts to privatize the airline, a requirement set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during recent loan negotiations, due to the airline’s unstable financial condition.
Minister Khwaja Asif described the lifting of the suspension as a momentous achievement and expressed gratitude to the relevant authorities for their role in the process.
He also announced that the European Commission and EASA had granted Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation to Airblue, Pakistan’s second-largest airline.
This authorization will allow Airblue to operate commercial flights to and from the European Union.
TCO authorisation enables non-European airlines to access European airspace for commercial flights, and Airblue, which currently operates domestic and regional routes, is now expected to expand into European operations.
In response to the lifting of the ban, PIA welcomed the decision, calling it a reflection of the airline’s commitment to meeting international safety standards.
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The airline emphasized that it had worked tirelessly over the past four years to fulfill EASA’s safety requirements, ensuring that Pakistani passengers could once again travel directly to Europe with their national carrier.
PIA assured that it would remain fully compliant with EASA’s rules and regulations.
Khwaja Asif credited the lifting of the suspension to significant reforms within Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), which he said were designed to align the country’s aviation oversight with international standards.
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He expressed his gratitude to EASA and the European Commission for their transparent process and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to ensure aviation safety.
This development is seen as a key step toward reviving PIA’s European operations and enhancing the government’s efforts to privatize the airline by making it more attractive to potential investors.
