Aviation Minister 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.
The EASA banned the airline from its most lucrative routes in Europe and Britain in June 2020. The move came in the wake of a PIA plane crash in Karachi that killed nearly 100, followed by a scandal over alleged fake pilot licences sparked by claims made by PTI-era aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.
The ban cost the airline an annual revenue of nearly Rs40 billion. Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervaiz Malik informed the National Assembly in June that PIA flights to Europe were expected to be restored soon as the European Commission Air Safety Commission had delisted Pakistan from its concern list on May 14, describing it as a “positive development”.
In March, Asif claimed that PIA flights to the UK would resume soon after clearance from EASA by mid-May. The minister’s remarks were based on conversations with “relevant quarters”.
In a post on X today, Asif said: “It is a momentous day to announce that European Commission and EASA has lifted the suspension on PIA flights to Europe.”
He added that Third Country Operator authorisation was also issued to Airblue.
Asif said the development was made possible due to the aviation ministry’s “complete focus” on strengthening the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and ensuring safety oversight in line with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“Our government has taken significant measures to strengthen PCAA, including enactment of PCAA Act, smooth segregation of regulator and service providers, appointment of professional leadership and training to build the capacity.
“I am grateful to European Commission and EASA for conducting a transparent process and our commitment to ensure aviation safety in Pakistan.”
Speaking to Geo News, Asif hailed the decision to lift the ban on Pakistani carriers operating in Europe as a “great success”.
“Our civil aviation bodies put great effort into meeting European standards over the last three years,” he said. “Over this time, we had multiple audits and we’ve met their requirements.”
He hoped to reap the benefits of the ban being lifted and expressed hope that bans on operations in the UK would be lifted as well.
Asif added that other airlines, including FlyJinnah, were undergoing the audit process as well.
Asked when Pakistani carriers would resume flights to Europe, the minister replied, “We are hoping to resume operations as quickly as possible. I cannot give you an exact day, but now it is a matter of time.”
In response to a question, Asif responded that PIA, which is in the process of privatisation, required new aircraft for its fleet before resuming operations in Europe.
“PIA has a severe lack of aircraft to operate on these new routes,” he explained. “It will also help PIA’s price recover,” he added, referring to the privatisation process.
“Our first round of privatisation had a muted response,” Asif said. “Receiving these routes again is now a major value addition to PIA and it will become more attractive to any party looking to buy it.”
The minister added that the transaction would need to be restructured but reiterated that “we will do it quickly”.
Asif extended gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his role in getting services resumed. “He monitored this process very closely and we had frequent meetings on it. We need to think about purchasing aircraft and about privatisation … these are decisions that will be made in the coming days.”
“It was a very difficult and challenging process and it is an achievement for the aviation ministry and for civil aviation bodies,” the minister stated. “We are hopeful that we will have more bans lifted and PIA, whether private or state-owned, will take flight again.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the development a “proud moment for the nation” while lauding the efforts of Asif, PIA and aviation officials.
“Wonderful news of lifting of the ban on PIA flights in the entire European Union,” Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a post on X.
An EASA spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Reuters: “EASA has now re-established sufficient confidence in the PCAA oversight capabilities.”
It said that the decision to authorise PIA to perform commercial air transport operations to, from and within the EU was based on the “significant efforts” made by the PCAA.
PIA and the government had been pressing EASA to lift the ban even provisionally. The government’s attempt to privatise the airline fell flat when it received only a single offer, that too well below its asking price.
An on-site review conducted from November 27 to 30, 2023, critically examined the PCAA’s role in safety oversight and identified multiple areas of concern.
These included deviations from established safety procedures and significant understaffing in the Flight Standards Directorate, despite the authority being staffed by technically skilled professionals.
In response, the PCAA presented a corrective action plan on May 6 detailing measures taken to address the deficiencies noted. This plan was discussed during a hearing with the EU safety committee in May.
The EU Air Safety Committee concluded that “particular attention should be given to the continuous monitoring of the safety situation and developments in Pakistan, through the regular organisation of technical meetings in Brussels before each EU Air Safety Committee, and regular progress reporting from PCAA.”
It further retained the possibility of inviting the PCAA to an additional hearing at future EU Air Safety Committee meetings, as may be warranted.
The commission also highlighted the need for the government’s continued support, as well as the importance of ensuring leadership stability within the authority as a cornerstone for a well-functioning PCAA.
“In accordance with the common criteria set out in the regulation, the commission considers that at this time there are no grounds for amending the list of air carriers, which are subjected to an operating ban within the union with respect to air carriers certified in Pakistan,” it said in a report.
It added that EU member states should continue verifying the effective compliance of air carriers certified in Pakistan with the relevant international safety standards through the prioritisation of ramp inspections of those air carriers.
“Where any relevant safety information reveals imminent safety risks resulting from non-compliance with the relevant international safety standard, further action by the commission can become necessary,in accordance with regulation,” it said.
The ban
EASA suspended PIA’s authorisation to operate in Europe for six months in June 2020. The agency decided to extend this suspension until March 2021 for an additional three-month period.
The move followed the grounding of 262 pilots whose licences former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had termed “dubious”. The had minister said the pilots included 141 from PIA, nine from Air Blue, 10 from Serene Air, and 17 from Shaheen Airlines.
His announcement had caused global concern. The action on the “dubious” licences was prompted by the preliminary report on the PIA May 2020 air crash in Karachi. It found the plane’s pilots failed to follow standard procedures and disregarded alarms.
EASA extended the travel restrictions imposed on PIA for an indefinite period in April 2021 and directed the PCAA to get its safety audit done by the ICAO.
Additional input from Reuters.
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