PIA - Pakistan International Airlines (PK, Islamabad International) plans to resume flights to Europe after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted a four-year flight ban last week. PIA said it was "thrilled" with the change. Pakistan's Aviation Minister Khwaja Asif said the outcome was a "big breakthrough" and the result of many years of work. EASA also lifted a ban on AirBlue (PA, Karachi International).

EASA banned Pakistani operators in 2020 for six months after a catastrophic PIA A320-200 crash and a scandal involving the bona fides of licences held by over 25% of PIA's pilots. The safety agency has since maintained the ban, despite efforts by local airlines and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Agency (PCAA) to have it overturned.

"EASA has lifted the suspension of the third country operator (TCO) authorisation issued to Pakistan International Airlines," an EASA spokesperson told ch-aviation. "This marks the end of a long process initiated in 2020, based on factual and verifiable evidence that the ability of the PCAA to certify and oversee its air operators had degraded below acceptable level."

The spokesperson said since the initial ban, they had been in continuous dialogue with the PCAA, PIA, and AirBlue, including an on-site assessment in Pakistan in late 2023. The agency says the PCAA has made "significant efforts" and there is now "sufficient confidence" in the PCAA's oversight capabilities to warrant allowing the carriers to resume flights to Europe.

"PIA is delighted on the decision, which took nearly four and a half years of relentless efforts to comply with the most stringent regulations. We have started planning the resumption of flights and Paris would be the first destination in this regard," a PIA spokesperson told ch-aviation.

"The UK had put EASA clearances as a prerequisite for revoking the suspension. Now with EASA clearances, we will be approaching UK authorities for a similar decision. In UK, PIA would be eyeing London Heathrow, Manchester International and Birmingham, GB, from Islamabad and Lahore International."

AirBlue says the decision underscores its commitment to the highest safety and operational standards and marks "a new chapter" for the carrier. Its statement did not say where or when it would resume flights, but the airline has previously operated to Birmingham and Manchester.

"Our government has taken significant measures to strengthen PCAA, including enactment of the PCAA Act, segregation of regulator and service providers, the appointment of professional leadership, and training to build the capacity," Khwaja Asif said on social media.

Flights between Pakistan, Europe, and the UK had previously made up a large portion of PIA's revenues. The airline has previously said the absence of those revenues was one reason why it has continued to make losses in recent years. The Pakistani government intends to privatise PIA, hoping the new owner will recapitalise it and modernise its fleet and operations.