Big relief as EASA lifts ban on PIA for flights to Europe: minister

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Aviation Khawaja Asif on Friday announced that the European Commission and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have lifted the ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for flights to Europe.

In a post on X today, he said: “It is a momentous day to announce that the European Commission and EASA have lifted the suspension on PIA flights to Europe.”

The minister added that Third Country Operator authorisation was also issued to Airblue.

In 2020, the EASA banned the airline from its most lucrative routes in Europe and Britain after a PIA plane crash in Karachi killed nearly 100, followed by a fake pilot licence scandal. 

Khawaja Asif appreciated the role of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Defense Ministry in lifting the ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), for European routes. The Prime Minister has also taken special initiatives for PIA’s restoration of European routes, he said in an interview with a private television channel. “This is a historic day for the country for lifting the ban on PIA, ” he said.

In reply to a question about the privatization of PIA, the minister said that lifting the ban on PIA would speed up the process of privatization. To a question, he said, we will have to purchase new planes to fulfil the needs of different routes.