Britain lifts ban on Pakistani airlines following safety improvements

Britain has lifted a years-long ban on Pakistani airlines following improvements in the country’s aviation safety standards, the British diplomatic mission in Islamabad said on Wednesday.

The UK’s Air Safety Committee imposed the ban after Pakistan’s aviation minister in June 2020 disclosed that nearly one-third of the country’s pilots had cheated on their licensing exams.

The claim came after a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crash killed 97 people on May 24, 2020, in the southern city of Karachi. The disaster was attributed to human error by the pilots and air traffic control, and was followed by allegations that nearly a third of the licences for its pilots were fake or dubious.

Wednesday’s announcement follows a broader international recognition of Pakistan’s efforts to improve air safety.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif welcomed the lifting of the ban as "an important milestone for the country."

"The lifting of the ban on Pakistani flights by the UK is a source of relief for Pakistanis residing in Britain," he added in a statement.

PIA said it would resume services to Britain in "the shortest possible time" with the first flights operating from Islamabad to Manchester.

Pakistan’s Defence and Aviation Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif also welcomed the decision.

Speaking at a televised news conference on Wednesday, he attributed the ban to what he described as "baseless” remarks made by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan. He said Sarwar Khan’s claim tarnished the country’s image and triggered significant financial losses for Pakistan International Airlines.

Khawaja Asif acknowledged the ban had caused losses. "Confidence is being restored in Pakistani airlines once again," he said at a news conference in Islamabad.

Earlier this year, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency also lifted its five-year-long ban, allowing the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines to resume direct flights to Europe.

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said that after "extensive engagement” between the UK’s Air Safety Committee and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, restrictions on Pakistani airlines have now been lifted.

UK diplomatic missions in Commonwealth countries are known as high commissions and are equivalent to embassies. However, Marriott said individual airlines will still need to apply for operating permits from the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority.

"I’m grateful to aviation experts in both the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to meet international safety standards,” she said. "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 high commission emphasised that decisions on delisting countries or carriers from the U.K. Air Safety List are made through an independent safety process overseen by the Air Safety Committee.

With more than 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK, and thousands of British nationals residing in Pakistan, it said the move will help families to reconnect and potentially boost bilateral trade ties.