LONDON: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that they are making efforts to resume flights to and from the United Kingdom as soon as possible as the aviation services between the two countries remain suspended for over four years.
“We have made every effort, even we changed the laws as per the latest requirements of the Aviation Authority of UK to solve the issue of resumption of PIA flights,” the deputy prime minister, who is currently visiting Britain, said while addressing the Pakistani diaspora there.
PIA flights to Europe and the UK were suspended after the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) revoked the national carrier’s authorisation to fly to the bloc in 2020 in the aftermath of a fake pilot licence scandal in Pakistan.
The issue resulted in the grounding of 262 of Pakistan’s 860 pilots, including 141 of PIA’s 434, whose licences were termed “dubious” by the then aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.
The deputy prime minister, while addressing the event, said that an “irresponsible statement” of a minister from the former minister of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government grounded all aircraft of the country in Europe, UK and the Western world.
He said the government was taking two more actions on privatisation of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and outsourcing of Islamabad International Airport.
Dar went on to say that the process was moving on the fast track, hoping that it might be completed by the middle of October.
He pointed out that Pakistan attached high importance to the long-standing partnership with the UK and the real pivot of the bilateral relationship was Pakistani diaspora.
Later, while addressing the press conference in London, the deputy PM further said that discussions on the resumption of PIA flight operations were held with the British authorities while talks with the European Union were also underway.
“We are determined to comply with the international standards in the aviation sector. All out efforts are being made for the resumption of services,” he added.
