ISLAMABAD (TNS) The Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has declared the end of the ban on Pakistani airlines in UK a victory for Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a post on social networking websites X, ‘Alhamdulillah! PIA has returned to UK, thanks to Allah Almighty that Pakistan has gained prominence based on truth with the resumption of flights of Pakistan’s national airline to UK.’ He wrote that unfortunately due to irresponsible and baseless statements of some PTI members, the national airline suffered irreparable damage at the global level, as a result of which important routes like UK and Europe were banned for years. The Prime Minister wrote that in view of the presence of more than 1.6 million Pakistanis in UK and thousands of British citizens in Pakistan, today’s announcement will pave the way for the reunion of families and friends, which has been awaited for years, and will bring great relief. He said that the UK is Pakistan’s third largest trading partner and the ease of travel between the two countries will boost this important trade relationship manifold. The Prime Minister said that on this achievement, special congratulations to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, aviation authorities and all the concerned institutions, whose tireless work and efforts led to the achievement of this milestone. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the efforts of the Defense Minister’s team for the lifting of the ban on Pakistani flights and congratulated Khawaja Asif. It may be recalled that in June 2020, the then former Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had revealed in the National Assembly that a large number of commercial pilots had obtained ‘questionable licenses’. Following which, on July 1, 2020, the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) temporarily suspended the air operation permit of Pakistan International Airlines to European countries for 6 months. Later, on April 8, 2021, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency extended the travel ban on PIA indefinitely. On September 15, 2024, the Civil Aviation Authority’s Board of Directors meeting in Karachi was informed about the important progress on the issue regarding the resumption of PIA flights to Europe and the UK. The board members were informed that the pilot license examination system has been completely changed and restored, which has improved the standards of flight safety. All commercial and chartered flights flying over the European Union are required to obtain TCO permission, which was implemented in 2016 and ensures that all aircraft operating in European countries comply with the safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). All commercial airlines submit information about their aircraft and their safety program to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for review to obtain TCO permission.
It should be remembered that there are more than 1.6 million people of Pakistani origin living in the UK and thousands of British citizens in Pakistan, so the decision will be helpful in restoring family ties between the two countries. The UK is Pakistan’s third largest trading partner and the total value of trade relations between the two countries is 4.7 billion pounds. This important trade relationship will be further strengthened by facilitating travel between the two countries.
It should be noted that the first flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) after the resumption of flights to Europe departed from Islamabad to Paris on January 10, 2025. The flight operation of the national airline (PIA) to Europe was resumed after 4 and a half years, 323 passengers arrived in Paris on flight number PK 749 from Islamabad. The flight from Islamabad to Paris took off after a long time at 12:10 pm, through which passengers were brought to Pakistan from the French capital. Passengers expressed their happiness on reaching Europe directly from Pakistan after a long time, PIA has started one flight from Islamabad to Paris every Friday and Sunday. Before the departure of the flight, a special ceremony was held at Islamabad Airport, in this regard, the airport was specially decorated. The passengers going to Europe were bid farewell by Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif at the airport. A special reception was also given when the PIA flight landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, officials of the Pakistani embassy, French aviation officers welcomed the passengers and a cake cutting ceremony was also held at the airport. On the occasion of the departure of the flight from Islamabad, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif had said that a statement by the former aviation minister had led to a ban on the national airline in Europe, which had caused a loss of billions of rupees. He had expressed his determination that PIA would start its flights throughout Europe in a phased manner and now flights to the United States will also be started after transiting from Europe. The Prime Minister also welcomed the departure of PIA’s first flight to Paris and expressed hope that this move would facilitate Pakistanis living abroad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while congratulating the public on the resumption of PIA flights to Europe, said in his message that this move would enable Pakistanis living abroad to benefit from direct flights.
In December 2024, the European Union’s Air Safety Agency (EASA) lifted the ban on Pakistan International Airlines’ flight operations in Europe. In a meeting with Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the resumption of Pakistani flights to the UK is a very important milestone for Pakistan. In the past, due to irresponsible statements by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders, Pakistani flights were banned and the country’s reputation was damaged. The lifting of the ban will increase travel convenience for Pakistanis living in the UK, and tourism will also be boosted. It should be noted that the UK has lifted the ban on Pakistani airlines, which was also confirmed by the British High Commissioner. In her statement, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said, “I am grateful to the UK and Pakistani aviation experts who have worked together to improve the situation in line with international standards. Although it will take time to restore flights, I look forward to flying with Pakistani airlines to meet my family and friends as soon as the administrative arrangements are completed.” British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said that Pakistan has been removed from the UK’s air safety list, and now all Pakistani airlines can apply for permission to fly to the UK. According to the British High Commissioner, the UK’s Air Safety Committee has lifted restrictions on Pakistani airlines after improvements in Pakistan’s air safety system, but each airline will have to obtain separate permits from the UK Civil Aviation Authority before starting flights to the UK. Jane Marriott said, “I am grateful to the UK and Pakistani aviation experts who have worked together to improve the air quality in line with international standards. Although it will take time to restore flights, I look forward to flying with Pakistani airlines to visit my family and friends as soon as the administrative arrangements are completed.” She added that the decision to remove a country or airline from the UK’s air safety list is made through an independent and technical process, overseen by the Air Safety Committee. He said that the committee had been in close contact with the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan for the past several years and had concluded that the required safety improvements had been made since 2021, and therefore, under a technical and independent process, the name of Pakistan and its airlines was removed from the list. Moreover, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that PIA has now been allowed to operate flights from the UK, which is a major achievement for Pakistan’s aviation sector. This development will not only restore the international reputation of the national airline but will also increase its value in the upcoming privatization process. The irresponsible decisions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan caused irreparable damage to the national airline (PIA), which the government will now take action on. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the Defense Minister said that the former aviation minister blamed his own organization, which resulted in an international ban on PIA, his statement also hurt national dignity and this action was tantamount to a criminal act against the state. The former aviation minister has not yet offered any explanation for his irresponsible statement and the responsibility for the ban on PIA lies entirely with the former PTI government. The majority of overseas Pakistanis travel through PIA, so the lifting of the ban will facilitate Pakistanis, especially those living in the UK. The government is working on the next phase of PIA privatization and this process will be completed after the restoration of international routes. He thanked the global regulators under whose guidance this milestone was achieved and said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took a personal interest in this process.
The government is trying to restore PIA flights to New York. The government is responsible for determining why the national airline was banned and taking action on it. Pakistan will apply for an operating license for flights abroad so that its air services can be restored internationally. The Defense Minister said that the ban damaged the national identity and caused billions of rupees to the national airline. The ban on the airline was a big shock for Pakistanis abroad. “They had to bury the bodies of their loved ones there and if their last wish is to be buried in the country, the relatives have to spend thousands of dollars on it. Due to lack of business and the blow to its reputation, PIA became an obsolete airline, its planes became dysfunctional, the reputation of its pilots was damaged. He said that now the matter has been resolved amicably, so now we will apply for an operating license. He said that apart from PIA, Air Blue has also been given permission. It may be recalled that the UK and European aviation authorities had imposed a ban on Pakistani airlines in July 2020. However, after a ban of about four and a half years, on November 29, 2024, the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) announced the lifting of the ban on flight operations in Europe on private airlines, including Pakistan’s national airline (PIA).A statement issued by the British High Commission in Pakistan said that Pakistan’s name has been removed from the UK’s air safety list and Pakistani airlines can now apply to start flight operations in the UK. It may be recalled that the UK had banned Pakistani airlines in July 2020.
