Britain lifts ban on Pakistani airlines – Here’s why PIA was barred from UK 5 years ago
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Britain lifts ban on Pakistani airlines – Here’s why PIA was barred from UK 5 years ago")
Britain lifts ban on Pakistani airlines – Here’s why PIA was barred from UK 5 years ago Photograph: (AFP)
Pakistan International Airlines was formed in 1955 and witnessed rapid growth until the 1990s. However, the state-owned airlines started making a loss in the following years.
The United Kingdom on Wednesday (Jul 16) lifted the ban on Pakistani airlines, ending a five-year-long restriction on the country’s national carrier, said the British High Commission in Islamabad. Pakistan International Airlines was barred from Britain in June 2020 after one of its aircraft crashed into a Karachi street, killing nearly 100 people. The UK cited improvements in aviation safety standards implemented by Islamabad authorities in its recent move to end the ban, allowing Pakistani airlines to apply to resume UK flights. The decision comes months after the European Union lifted similar restrictions.
The British High Commission added that the decision to de-list states and air carriers was made “through an independent aviation safety process.”
“Based on this independent and technically-driven process, it has decided to remove Pakistan and its air carriers from the (UK Air Safety) List,” it said in a statement.
Why was Pakistani airlines banned in the UK?
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crash in Karachi in May 2020 was attributed to human error by the pilots and air traffic control. Following the disaster that cost 97 lives, it was found that nearly one-third of the country’s pilots had obtained their flying licenses through fraudulent means.
After the Pakistani Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan made the shocking revelation about fake documentation, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency imposed a ban on the country’s airlines.
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It is estimated that the suspension has resulted in losses of about 40 billion rupees ($144 million) in annual revenue of the airlines, which once saw profitable UK routes, including London, Birmingham, and Manchester.
PIA, which employs 7,000 people, has been accused of being bloated and poorly run, with a poor safety record and regulatory issues and unpaid bills. The UK’s latest decision comes as the Pakistani government seeks to privatise the debt-ridden airline, scrambling to find a buyer.
According to reports, a deal fell through in 2024 when a potential buyer offered a fraction of the price which the government demanded. PIA was formed in 1955 and witnessed rapid growth until the 1990s. However, the state-owned airlines started making a loss in the following years.
Pakistan welcomes UK’s move to lift ban on airline
The move was welcomed by the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who hailed the decision as “an important milestone for the country.” In a statement, he added, “The lifting of the ban on Pakistani flights by the UK is a source of relief for Pakistanis residing in Britain.”
Responding to the announcement, the PIA said it would resume services to Britain in “the shortest possible time” with the first flights operating from Islamabad to Manchester.
Meanwhile, Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif acknowledged losses incurred due to the ban. “Confidence is being restored in Pakistani airlines once again,” he said at a news conference in Islamabad.
