Islamabad (TDI): The United Kingdom has removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, allowing PIA and other carriers to once again apply for permission to operate direct flights to the UK.
The move follows years of technical collaboration between the UK and Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), aimed at addressing earlier concerns that had grounded Pakistani carriers since 2020.
The ban was first imposed following a major scandal that surfaced during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, when then-Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan admitted that dozens of pilots were operating with questionable or fake licenses. The revelation came in the aftermath of the PIA crash in Karachi, where an Airbus A320 went down in a residential area, claiming nearly 100 lives.
In response, European and UK regulators suspended Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from operating flights to their territories, citing serious safety deficiencies.
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While Wednesday’s decision marks a major breakthrough, it does not mean that flight operations will resume immediately. Each Pakistani airline must still apply for and obtain individual operating permits from the UK Civil Aviation Authority before launching services.
The development is expected to significantly ease travel for the more than 1.6 million British residents of Pakistani heritage, many of whom have had to rely on connecting flights through the Middle East and Turkey for the past four years. It also promises to bolster economic links, as the UK remains Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at £4.7 billion.
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British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott CMG OBE welcomed the announcement, expressing appreciation for the efforts made on both sides. “I’m grateful to aviation experts in the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to meet international safety standards,” she said. “While flights won’t resume overnight, I look forward to flying with a Pakistani airline once services restart.”
The lifting of the ban is being seen as a vote of confidence in Pakistan’s reformed aviation oversight and a key step toward rebuilding international credibility in the country’s air travel industry.
Sohail Majeed
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
