The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has lifted a four-year ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from operating to Europe.
The airline was blocked from flying to the European Union and the UK in May 2020 after the crash of Flight 8303 from Lahore to Karachi, which killed 97 people. The crash raised concerns about the validity of numerous Pakistani pilots’ licenses, including several at PIA. Since the ban, the carrier has operated limited services to EU countries and the UK using wet-leased aircraft.
EASA confirmed on Nov. 29 that it has reestablished sufficient confidence in Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s (PCAA) oversight capabilities. As such, PIA has been authorized to perform commercial air transport operations to, from and within the EU.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has been approached for comment on whether it will follow EASA’s lead.
In a statement, EASA said the lifting of the ban “marks the end of a long process initiated in 2020,” during which the PCAA’s oversight capabilities were found to have fallen below acceptable levels. The agency highlighted its continued dialogue with the PCAA and on-site assessments in Pakistan in November 2023 as key factors in the decision.
The move has been welcomed by Pakistan Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif, who called it a “big breakthrough for Pakistani airlines and the aviation industry.” Writing on X, Asif praised the decision as a significant step forward.
“The Ministry of Aviation and Civil Aviation, after many years of struggle and hard work, have fulfilled all the standards and audit requirements that were required to obtain the authorization from the European Union,” the minister said, adding that the EU has also authorized fellow Pakistani carrier Air Blue to fly to Europe.
Before the pandemic and the crash of Flight 8303, PIA operated 17 routes to destinations in the EU and UK. These included flights to Barcelona, Spain; Birmingham, London Heathrow and Manchester in England; Copenhagen; Milan Malpensa; Oslo; and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
In early 2020, the airline operated about 34 roundtrip services per week, offering approximately 23,300 two-way seats, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data. The latest schedules show that there are currently no nonstop flights between EU countries and Pakistan, while British Airways is the sole provider of service between the UK and Pakistan, flying 3X-weekly between London Gatwick and Islamabad.
Overall O&D traffic between Pakistan and Europe totaled 3 million two-way passengers in 2023, marking a rise of 17% on 2019 levels. Dubai, Doha and Istanbul were the largest one-stop markets.