ISLAMABAD – In a major relief for Pakistan’s aviation sector, the United Kingdom has officially removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, paving the way for the country’s airlines to seek permission to resume flights to British destinations.
The UK’s Air Safety Committee made the announcement on Wednesday, highlighting the progress made by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) in meeting international safety standards. The decision follows years of technical cooperation and rigorous assessments after Pakistan was blacklisted in 2020.
The original ban was imposed in the aftermath of a scandal involving fake pilot licences, revealed by then-aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. The minister’s disclosure came soon after a tragic Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crash in Karachi that claimed nearly 100 lives.
While the removal from the safety list is a significant milestone, Pakistani airlines will still need to obtain individual operational permits from the UK Civil Aviation Authority before resuming commercial services.
British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott welcomed the decision, thanking aviation experts from both countries for their collaborative efforts. “Flights won’t resume overnight, but I look forward to traveling on a Pakistani airline once services restart,” she said.
The move is expected to make travel easier for the UK’s 1.6 million-strong Pakistani community and boost trade ties between the two nations. The UK currently stands as Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at £4.7 billion.
This development comes months after the European Union lifted a similar ban, allowing PIA to resume flights to European destinations, including a direct Islamabad-to-Paris service launched earlier this year.
