Air safety improvements: British Air Safety Committee lifts restrictions on Pakistani carriers
Islamabad, Hilal Ahmad, July 16, AZERTAC
Following improvements in air safety standards, the British Air Safety Committee has lifted restrictions on Pakistani carriers. However, individual airlines will still need to apply for permits to operate flights to the UK through the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the British High Commission, citing the decision of the Air Safety Committee. All Pakistani airlines are now eligible to apply for permission to operate flights to the UK.
Shortly after the announcement, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott stated: “I’m grateful to aviation experts in the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to drive improvements to meet international safety standards. 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.”
Decisions to remove states and air carriers from the UK Air Safety List are made through an independent aviation safety process. This process is overseen by the UK’s Air Safety Committee, which has been closely working with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority for several years. The Committee has concluded that the necessary safety improvements have been made since its original decision in 2021. As a result, Pakistan and its air carriers have been removed from the List based on this independent, technically driven assessment.
With over 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK and thousands of British nationals residing in Pakistan, the announcement is expected to ease travel and facilitate family reunions. The UK is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, with a bilateral trade relationship valued at £4.7 billion. Easing travel between the two countries will also help strengthen this vital economic partnership.
A few weeks ago, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was actively engaging with British authorities to lift the ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights. The national carrier’s operations to the UK and Europe were suspended in 2020 following restrictions imposed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
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