Following the lifting of the ban on direct flights to Europe, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has moved to lift the ban on direct flights by the national airline (PIA) to the UK.

According to Dawn News, sources have claimed that PIA’s direct flight operations to the UK are likely to resume in February, with flights to Manchester being launched in the first phase.

According to CAA sources, a team from the UK Department for Transport (DfT) will visit Karachi from January 15 to 17 for a security audit of CAA and PIA.

According to sources, the DFT has expressed confidence in the CAA’s manual report and has agreed to the request for exemption from the security audit, and the British team will formally conduct a safety audit of the CAA and PIA.

According to CAA sources, the British DFT team has already conducted an audit of PIA and Civil Aviation, which PIA and CAA had successfully completed.

DG Civil Aviation Authority Nader Shafi Dar is personally leading security teams to ensure timely resumption of direct flights to the UK. Civil Aviation officials will brief the DFT delegation.

According to sources, the resumption of direct flights to the UK and the European Union will be the CAA’s first gift in the new year, becoming the sole regulator of safety and security in Pakistan aviation.

According to sources, there is strong hope that the ban on PIA’s direct flights to the UK will be lifted in February, and PIA is ready to start flight operations to the UK.

According to sources, PIA will start direct flights to Manchester in the first phase, and flights to London and other cities will be launched in the second phase. PIA will use Boeing 777 aircraft for Europe and the UK.

It should be noted that in November last year, the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) lifted the ban on Pakistan PIA’s flight operations in Europe, after which PIA’s first flight will depart from Islamabad to Paris on January 10, 2025.

Background

In June 2020, the then Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan revealed in the National Assembly that a large number of commercial pilots had obtained ‘dubious licenses’.

Following which, on July 1, 2020, the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) temporarily suspended Pakistan International Airlines’ air operation permit for European countries for 6 months. Later, on April 8, 2021, the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency extended the travel ban on PIA indefinitely.

On September 15, 2024, the Civil Aviation Authority Board of Directors meeting in Karachi was informed of important developments regarding the resumption of PIA flights to Europe and the UK.

Board members were informed that the pilot license examination system has been completely overhauled and restored, which has improved the quality of flight safety.

It was further reported that the European Air Safety Agency will review the matter in November, and given the steps taken so far, it is hoped that PIA flights to the UK and Europe will be restored during this year.

All commercial and chartered flights flying over the European Union must obtain TCO permission. The TCO was implemented in 2016 and ensures that all aircraft operating in European countries comply with the safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

All commercial airlines submit information about their aircraft and their safety programs to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for review in order to obtain TCO authorisation.