In 2020, EASA banned PIA from its most lucrative routes in Europe, Britain after PIA plane crash in Karachi killed nearly 100, followed by scandal over pilot licenses
ISLAMABAD, NOV 29: The European Commission and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted the suspension on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Airblue flights to Europe, Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday.
“It is made possible due to the complete focus of the Aviation Ministry to strengthen PCAA and ensure safety oversight in line with ICAO standards,” Asif said in a post on X.
The decision comes after a year of the visit of a team of EASA and the European Commission to Pakistan. They reviewed measures taken by the PCAA regarding issues of pilot licences, airworthiness and flight safety.
In his tweet, Asif hailed the government’s significant measures to strengthen PCAA including the enactment of the PCAA Act, smooth segregation of regulators and service providers, and the appointment of professional leadership and training to build the capacity.
The minister thanked the European Commission and EASA for conducting a transparent process and commitment to ensure aviation safety in Pakistan.
In 2020, the EASA banned the PIA from its most lucrative routes in Europe and Britain after a PIA plane crash in Karachi in 2020 killed nearly 100, followed by a scandal over pilot licenses.
The ban cost the airline an annual revenue of nearly Rs40 billion ($143.73 million), Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervaiz Malik informed the National Assembly in June.
He had further revealed that the European Commission and European Air Safety Commission had delisted Pakistan from its concern list on May 14, and had hoped that the PIA flights to Europe would be restored soon.
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