The European Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have lifted the ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to Europe, reopening vital routes for the national carrier.
In 2020, the EASA imposed the ban following a PIA plane crash in Karachi that claimed nearly 100 lives and a subsequent fake pilot license scandal. These issues restricted the airline’s operations on lucrative routes in Europe and Britain.
Aviation Minister Khwaja Asif announced the development on Friday, calling it a “momentous day” in a post on X. He noted that Third Country Operator authorization was also issued to Airblue, adding that the decision was made possible due to the aviation ministry’s efforts to strengthen the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and align its safety oversight with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.
“Our government has taken significant measures to strengthen PCAA, including enactment of the PCAA Act, smooth segregation of regulator and service providers, appointment of professional leadership, and capacity-building training,” he said.
پاکستان کی ہوابازی کی صنعت کیلئے اہم ترین خبر
یورپی ائیر سیفٹی ایجنسی(ایاسا) کی جانب سے پاکستانی ائیرلائنز پر پابندی اٹھانے کا فیصلہ
ایاسا نے اپنے مکتوب میں وزرات ہوابازی اور پی ائی اے انتظامیہ کو باضابطہ آگاہ کردیا
ایاسا کی جانب سے پی آئی اے کی ٹیم اور انتظامیہ کو ان کے سخت…
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) November 29, 2024
Asif expressed gratitude to the European Commission and EASA for conducting a transparent process and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring aviation safety.
