The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday resumed direct flights to the United Kingdom, over five years after it was banned from its airspace following a fake pilot license scandal.
The U.K. removed PIA from its Air Safety List in July after years of efforts from the national flag carrier. Inaugurating the resumption of PIA flight operations to the U.K., Defense Minister Khawaja Asif noted the suspension of flights had caused significant financial losses to the government. However, he stressed, the airline’s standards had now been restored and it was resuming flights to Britain.
“We have successfully reinstated the quality and credibility of our national airline,” he said, commending the efforts of Pakistan’s diplomatic staff for their tireless work in lifting the ban. He also acknowledged the cooperation of British High Commissioner Jane Marriott.
Separately, in an interview with U.K.’s The Telegraph, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the U.K. Mohammad Faisal said the success of the Islamabad-Manchester route could open the door for operations to several other British cities.
Recalling that the suspension followed the 2020 Karachi plane crash that killed 97 people, he said the airline had worked to restore confidence, adding mechanisms were in place to ensure there was no issue with pilot qualifications in future.
“We have gone through a rigorous process of setting up a new system, which involves some external examiners and people who oversee the pilot licensing,” he added.