In a significant development in July, the United Kingdom removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, paving the way for Pakistani airlines to apply for flight operations in Britain. This decision came after a thorough aviation security inspection conducted by the UK Department for Transport at Islamabad International Airport, which found Pakistan’s security protocols to be “satisfactory and in line with international standards.”
Following the receipt of the TCO certification, Pakistan’s national carrier, PIA, announced that it is now authorized to operate direct flights for both passengers and cargo. The airline stated that it will first resume flight operations to Manchester, with Birmingham and London to be included in the network later. PIA added that the British Department of Transport also granted it Security and Cargo ACC3 certificates, valid for five years, on the same day. These certificates were presented as a testament to the “complete confidence in PIA’s air operations and safety” from international aviation organizations.
In a post on X, the national carrier extended its gratitude to the prime minister, foreign minister, defence ministry, and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority for their crucial role in helping to get the operations back on track.
The airline had faced a ban on flying to the European Union, the UK, and the United States since June 2020. This ban was implemented a month after one of its Airbus A-320s crashed in Karachi’s Model Colony, resulting in the deaths of nearly 100 people. The ban was also linked to the grounding of 262 pilots whose licenses were deemed “dubious” by the then-aviation minister. The ban on operating in Europe was eventually lifted in November 2024.
