The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has lifted its four-year ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) operations in EU airspace. Effective November 29, 2024, the airline, which was suspended in June 2020 due to regulatory and safety issues, will be allowed to resume flights to the European Union.
Significant efforts bear fruit
Pakistan International Airlines
has demonstrated that it meets the international safety requirements of Annex I (Part-TCO) to Commission Regulation No. 452/2014, which defines technical requirements and administrative procedures related to air operations of third-country operators, according to a report by the EASA.
Photo: sockagphoto | Shutterstock
Commenting on the news, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar commended the Prime Minister, the Pakistani Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for this accomplishment. In a statement on X, Dar shared a letter sent by the EASA and revealed that the airline would remain under “Intensified Surveillance” until the close of 2025.
Amir Hayat, the CEO of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), discussed the development in a video shared on the social media platform X. The airline credited its management’s relentless efforts over the past four years with achieving this significant milestone.
According to the airline’s official website, PIA used to operate services between Pakistan and Copenhagen (CPH), Paris (CDG), Milan (MXP), Oslo (OSL), Barcelona (BCN), London (LHR), Manchester (MAN), and Birmingham (BHX).
It is worth noting that the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has also banned the airline from operating in and out of the United Kingdom due to safety reasons. With the European Union lifting its ban on PIA
, there are indications that flights to the UK may resume soon, though an official announcement is awaited.
The airline currently operates a fleet of 32 aircraft, including 17 Airbus A320s, 12 Boeing 777s, and three ATR 42-500 turboprops, as per ch-aviation data.
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Why did the EU ban PIA?
In June 2020, PIA was banned from EU airspace due to safety concerns and regulatory issues. The primary trigger was a scandal involving fake pilot licenses.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Following a fatal PIA crash in May 2020, an investigation revealed that a significant number of Pakistani pilots held fake or unverified licenses. This raised serious concerns about safety standards and the integrity of Pakistan’s aviation regulatory system. Following the news, PIA began suspending pilots who raised suspicions over the authenticity of their licenses.
In February 2024, the Pakistani aviation authorities released the final report on PIA’s Airbus A320 crash in Karachi. The report revealed the cause of the incident as human error, including a lack of proper communication between the plane’s pilots and air traffic control.
Europe’s decision to ban PIA from its airspace came as a huge blow to the Pakistani airline, which was already under scrutiny due to uncovered pitfalls in the Pakistani aviation industry. While this has all been financially troubling for PIA, airlines have stepped in to add more flights to the underserved routes between Europe and Pakistan.
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