UK delays decision on lifting PIA’s flight ban amid safety concerns

(Web Desk): The UK Department for Transport has confirmed that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will remain on its air safety list.

This means PIA is still banned from flying to, from, or within the UK. A spokesperson for the department said the UK Civil Aviation Authority is in talks with Pakistani authorities about the situation. The spokesperson also noted that airlines must pass strict checks before any restrictions are lifted.

The UK Air Safety List includes countries and airlines that are banned from operating flights to, from, or within the UK due to safety concerns. According to the UK government, all Pakistani airlines are currently banned from operating commercial flights to the UK due to safety regulations.

However, Pakistani government sources said that the UK air safety authority has delayed its decision about lifting the restrictions on PIA. Initially, the decision was expected on March 20, following an audit. This was then pushed to March 25, but it has now been delayed again.

Government insiders explained that the delay is connected to a recent incident involving a PIA plane, where a tire detached during the flight.

The World Air Safety authorities and Airbus are investigating the issue, and the UK decision will not be made until the investigation is complete.

Last week, reports suggested that the ban on PIA flying to the UK might be lifted soon after the British Air Safety Committee held an important meeting. The ban was first imposed in July 2020 by UK and European aviation authorities after a scandal involving fake pilot licenses. The issue came to light after a tragic crash in Karachi, where nearly 100 people were killed when a PIA Airbus A320 crashed into a street. Following the crash, Pakistan’s aviation minister at the time, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, revealed that many pilots had been flying with fake licenses. As a result, PIA was banned from flying to the UK, European Union, and the US, causing the airline to lose around Rs 40 billion (about $144 million) annually in revenue.

In January 2025, after a long break, PIA resumed its first direct flight from Islamabad to Paris, marking its return to European skies. The airline is now hoping to restore its UK operations. PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan said that if the UK gives approval, destinations like London, Manchester, and Birmingham would be popular choices.