UK removes Pakistan from Air Safety List, clears path for flight resumption
ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom has removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, the British High Commission announced on Wednesday, paving the way for Pakistani airlines to apply for permits to operate flights to the UK.
Pakistani airlines were barred from flying to the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States following the crash of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus A320 in a residential area of Karachi that killed nearly 100 people in May 2020. The crash was attributed to human error by both the pilots and air traffic controllers and was followed by claims that a significant number of Pakistani pilots held dubious or fake licenses.
PIA resumed operations to Europe earlier this year after a four-and-a-half-year ban was lifted by EU regulators. The airline relaunched flights from Islamabad to Paris on January 10 and introduced direct flights from Lahore to Paris in June.
The British High Commission announced that Pakistan has been removed from the UK’s Air Safety List, allowing Pakistani airlines to now apply for permission to operate flights to the United Kingdom. This decision follows recognition by the UK’s Air Safety Committee of the improvements made by Pakistan in its aviation safety systems.
“I’m grateful to aviation experts in the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to drive improvements to meet international safety standards,” Jane Marriott said in the statement. “While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends,” the statement said.
According to the High Commission, while Pakistani airlines must still obtain operational approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the removal from the list is being seen as a major milestone. The process was conducted independently and based solely on technical assessments.
Highlighting the broader context of bilateral ties, the British High Commission noted that the UK is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, with trade exceeding £4.7 billion. Improved air travel options are expected to further strengthen this partnership.
It is important to note that changes to the UK Air Safety List are made through an impartial, technical evaluation overseen by the UK’s Air Safety Committee.
It also underlined the importance of the economic relationship, highlighting that Pakistan is the UK’s third-largest trading partner in the region, with bilateral trade reaching £4.7 billion annually.
Noteably, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted its ban on PIA in November 2024. This paved the way for the airline’s potential return to United Kingdom skies.—NNI
