In a major development for Pakistan’s aviation sector, the United Kingdom (UK) has officially lifted its long-standing ban on the country’s airlines.

 

As per the details, the decision was on Wednesday announced by the UK’s Air Safety Committee after sustained technical cooperation with Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and a thorough review of aviation safety standards.

 

It merits a mention that the ban by UK and European aviation authorities was imposed five years ago following May 2020’s deadly Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) PK-8303 crash in Karachi, and the subsequent fake pilot licenses scandal.

 

The then federal aviation minister, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, had in June 2020 told the National Assembly that out of 860 pilots, 262 had “manipulated their professional exam results by impersonation”. “They [262 PIA pilots] were issued fake degrees and fake licenses. Pilots lack flying experience,” Sarwar had said, adding that the pilots were recruited based on patronage.

 

While the removal from the list after half a decade marks a significant milestone, Pakistani carriers would still need to secure individual operating permits from the UK Civil Aviation Authority before flights can actually resume.

 

In a statement, the British High Commission said that the move was expected to ease travel for the estimated 1.6 million people of Pakistani origin living in the UK, as well as support trade ties between the two countries.

 

Pakistan was first added to the UK’s Air Safety List in 2021 over serious safety concerns. Since then, officials on both sides have worked together to address shortcomings, the statement added.

 

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott welcomed and confirmed the removal of the ban on Pakistani airlines, saying, “I’m grateful to aviation experts in the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to meet international safety standards.”

 

“While flights won’t resume overnight, I look forward to flying with a Pakistani airline once services restart,” she added.

 

In November 2024, the European Union (EU) had also lifted the ban on PIA and other operators from flying to different European destinations.