LONDON: The UK Department for Transport confirmed on Tuesday that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) would remain on the air safety list.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the department said that the UK Civil Aviation Authority was in contact with Pakistani authorities regarding the issue. “Airlines must go through a rigorous procedure to have restrictions lifted,” the spokesperson added.
The UK Air Safety List is the published list of countries and airlines that are subject to an operating ban on safety grounds and so cannot fly planes to, from or within the UK. All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Pakistan are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the United Kingdom, stated an official UK government website.
Meanwhile, Pakistan government sources told media that the UK air safety authority has postponed its decision regarding the lifting of restrictions on Pakistan’s national carrier. The authority was expected to announce its verdict on March 20 following an audit but later rescheduled it to March 25. However, the decision has now been further delayed.
The government insiders added that the postponement was linked to an incident involving a PIA aircraft, where a tire detached mid-flight. The World Air Safety authorities and Airbus were investigating the matter. The decision would remain on hold until the probe is completed, they added.
Last week, it was reported that the ban on the national carrier on flying to Britain is likely to be lifted soon as the British Air Safety Committee concluded an important meeting on the matter. The ban was enforced in July 2020 by the UK and European aviation authorities following the fake pilot licence scandal. However, Pakistani authorities remained hopeful that the restrictions would be lifted following tomorrow’s review.
Eyeing UK operations, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said that once cleared by the DfT, London, Manchester, and Birmingham would be the most sought-after destinations. PIA has 23% of Pakistan’s domestic aviation market, but its 34-plane fleet cannot compete with Middle Eastern carriers, which have 60%, due to a lack of direct flights, despite having agreements with 87 countries and key landing slots. — Agencies
