Latest news with #banlift
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Britain lifts ban on Pakistani airlines
Ground staff work beside the state-run Pakistan International Airlines plane preparing to take off for Paris. (AP pic) ISLAMABAD : Britain has lifted restrictions on Pakistani airlines, the UK embassy in Islamabad said on Wednesday, ending a five-year ban on the country's beleaguered national carrier. Flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines was barred from flying to Britain in June 2020, a month after one of its aircraft plunged into a Karachi street, killing nearly 100 people. The disaster was attributed to human error by the pilots and air traffic control and was followed by allegations that nearly a third of the licences for its pilots were fake or dubious. The UK air safety committee had decided to lift the ban following aviation safety improvements in Pakistan, the British High Commission in Islamabad said, adding that decisions on de-listing states and air carriers were made 'through an independent aviation safety process'. 'Based on this independent and technically driven process, it has decided to remove Pakistan and its air carriers from the (UK Air Safety) List,' it said in a statement. The move comes after European regulators lifted a four-year ban on PIA, with the Pakistani state-owned carrier resuming flights to Europe in January. PIA, which employs 7,000 people, has long been accused of being bloated and poorly run — hobbled by unpaid bills, a poor safety record and regulatory issues. Pakistan's government has said it is committed to privatising the debt-ridden airline and has been scrambling to find a buyer. In 2024, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price. PIA came into being in 1955 when the government nationalised a loss-making commercial airline and enjoyed rapid growth until the 1990s.
The National
16-07-2025
- Business
- The National
UK lifts ban on Pakistani airlines after five years
Britain has lifted a ban on Pakistani airlines following improvements in the country's aviation safety standards, the UK's diplomatic mission in Islamabad said on Wednesday. The UK's Air Safety Committee imposed the ban after Pakistan's aviation minister disclosed in June 2020 that nearly one-third of the country's pilots had cheated in their licence exams. The claim came after a Pakistan International Airlines crash killed 97 people on May 22, 2020, in the southern city of Karachi. The disaster was attributed to human error by the pilots and air traffic control Wednesday's announcement follows a broader international recognition of Pakistan's efforts to improve air safety. Earlier this year, Pakistan International Airlines, the national flag carrier, resumed direct flights to Europe after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency lifted its four-year ban. The airline said it would resume services to Britain in 'the shortest possible time' and the first flights would operate from Islamabad to Manchester. British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said that after 'extensive engagement' between the UK's Air Safety Committee and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, restrictions on Pakistani airlines have been lifted. Ms Marriott said individual airlines will still need to apply for operating permits from the UK Civil Aviation Authority. 'I'm grateful to aviation experts in both the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to meet international safety standards,' she said. 'While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends.' The high commission emphasised that decisions on removing countries or carriers from the UK Air Safety List are made through an independent safety process overseen by the Air Safety Committee. With more than 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK and thousands of British nationals living in Pakistan, the move will help families to reconnect and potentially boost bilateral trade ties, it said. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif welcomed the decision. Speaking at a televised news conference on Wednesday, he attributed the ban to 'baseless' remarks by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
UK lifts years-long ban on Pakistani airlines after improvement in air safety standards
Britain has lifted a years-long ban on Pakistani airlines following improvements in the country's aviation safety standards, the British diplomatic mission in Islamabad said Wednesday. The U.K.'s Air Safety Committee imposed the ban after Pakistan's aviation minister in June 2020 disclosed that nearly one-third of the country's pilots had cheated on their licensing exams. The claim came after a Pakistan International Airlines crash killed 97 people on May 24, 2020, in the southern city of Karachi. Wednesday's announcement follows a broader international recognition of Pakistan's efforts to improve air safety. Earlier this year, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency also lifted its five-year-long ban, allowing the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines to resume direct flights to Europe. British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said that after 'extensive engagement' between the U.K.'s Air Safety Committee and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, restrictions on Pakistani airlines have now been lifted. U.K. diplomatic missions in Commonwealth countries are known as high commissions and are equivalent to embassies. However, Marriott said individual airlines will still need to apply for operating permits from the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority. 'I'm grateful to aviation experts in both the U.K. and Pakistan for their collaborative work to meet international safety standards,' she said. 'While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends." The high commission emphasized that decisions on delisting countries or carriers from the U.K. Air Safety List are made through an independent safety process overseen by the Air Safety Committee. With more than 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the U.K., and thousands of British nationals residing in Pakistan, it said the move will help families to reconnect and potentially boost bilateral trade ties. Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif welcomed the decision. Speaking at a televised news conference on Wednesday, he attributed the ban to what he described as 'baseless' remarks made by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan. He said Khan's claim tarnished the country's image and triggered significant financial losses for Pakistan International Airlines.
BreakingNews.ie
16-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
UK lifts ban on Pakistani airlines after improvement in air safety standards
The UK has lifted a years-long ban on Pakistani airlines following improvements in the country's aviation safety standards, the British diplomatic mission in Islamabad said. The Air Safety Committee imposed the ban after Pakistan's aviation minister in June 2020 disclosed that nearly one-third of the country's pilots had cheated on their licensing exams. Advertisement The claim came after a Pakistan International Airlines crash killed 97 people on May 24, 2020, in the southern city of Karachi. Wednesday's announcement follows a broader international recognition of Pakistan's efforts to improve air safety. Earlier this year, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency also lifted its five-year ban, allowing the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines to resume direct flights to Europe. British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said that after 'extensive engagement' between the UK's Air Safety Committee and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, restrictions on Pakistani airlines have now been lifted. Advertisement However, Ms Marriott said individual airlines will still need to apply for operating permits from the UK Civil Aviation Authority. 'I'm grateful to aviation experts in both the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to meet international safety standards,' she said. 'While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends.' The high commission emphasised that decisions on delisting countries or carriers from the UK Air Safety List are made through an independent safety process overseen by the Air Safety Committee. Advertisement With more than 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK, and thousands of British nationals residing in Pakistan, it said the move will help families to reconnect and potentially boost bilateral trade ties. Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif welcomed the decision. Speaking at a televised news conference on Wednesday, he attributed the ban to what he described as 'baseless' remarks made by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan. He said Mr Khan's claim tarnished the country's image and triggered significant financial losses for Pakistan International Airlines. Advertisement
Reuters
16-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
UK lifts ban on Pakistani airlines after five years
KARACHI, July 16 (Reuters) - Britain has lifted a five-year ban on Pakistani airlines, allowing them to apply to resume UK flights just as Islamabad steps up efforts to privatise its national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines ( opens new tab. The ban was imposed in 2020, days after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilot licences issued in the country following a PIA plane crash that killed 97 people. The British High Commission said on Wednesday the lifting of the ban followed safety improvements by Pakistani authorities. The decision comes just months after the European Union took similar steps. While several private Pakistani airlines operate domestically and on regional routes, primarily to the Middle East, PIA has historically been the only carrier to operate long-haul flights to Britain and the European Union. PIA had previously estimated an annual revenue loss of around 40 billion rupees ($144 million) due to the ban. The airline has long considered UK routes, including London, Manchester, and Birmingham, among its most profitable, and holds sought-after landing slots at London's Heathrow Airport that could become active again. PIA's spokesperson said the airline was finalising preparations to resume UK flights "in the shortest possible time" and had submitted its proposed schedule. Flights would resume with the Islamabad-Manchester route, with three weekly flights planned initially pending schedule approval, the spokesperson added. Earlier this month, Pakistan approved four groups to bid for a 51-100% stake in PIA. Final bids are expected later this year. The government is hoping that recent reforms, which led to the airline's first operating profit in 21 years – will help attract buyers under a broader IMF-backed privatisation push. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told a press conference on Wednesday that the resumption of all routes would improve PIA's value ahead of the privatisation. He also said there were plans to restart flights to New York.
