Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will remain forbidden to fly to and from Britain, the British Department of Transport (DFT) confirmed on Tuesday and jumped hope for an imminent return after a four-year hiatus.
A spokesperson for the department said: “Airlines need to undergo a strict procedure for restrictions abolished,” added that the British Civil Aviation Authority was in contact with Pakistani authorities regarding the issue.
The British Air Safety List includes countries and carriers that are not authorized to operate commercial flights in the UK due to security concerns.
According to the official British government’s website, “All carriers certified by the authorities responsible for regulatory supervision of Pakistan are prohibited from operating commercial air services, from and within the United Kingdom.”
This update comes just days after reports suggested that the British Air Safety Committee had discussed the promise of the ban, which had raised hope among Pakistani authorities.
The ban was originally enforced in July 2020 by both British and European aviation authorities after a major scandal revealed that dozens of Pakistani pilots operated with false licenses.
The then Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan admitted the question after the tragic crash of a Pia Airbus A-320 in Karachi claiming almost 100 lives.
The decline from the scandal resulted in ban all over the UK, the European Union and the United States and cost the loss -making airline approx. RS40 billion ($ 144 million) annually in lost revenue.
Despite the ongoing ban in the UK, Pia marked a small milestone in January 2025 by resuming direct flights to Europe with a flight from Islamabad to Paris.
Pia spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan shared the airline’s hopes and said that what was once cleared by DFT, “London, Manchester and Birmingham would be the most sought-after destinations.”
Meanwhile, the government has decided to move forward with a quick track plan to privatize Pia, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Tuesday. The question of Pia’s privatization was discussed during a meeting chairman of Vice Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar in Islamabad.
According to the app, the “Cabinet Committee on Privateization (CCOP) on Tuesday approved a quickly traced plan for the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIACL), including the disposal of 51-100 percent share capital together with management control.”
The report also said, “Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to Piacl’s privatization to unlock its full potential and reduce financial burden on national tax.”
