Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will remain prohibited from flying towards and from the United Kingdom, the British Transport Department (DFT) confirmed on Tuesday, hoping for an imminent return after a four-year interruption.
A spokesperson for the department said: “Airlines must go through rigorous procedure so that the restrictions are lifted”, adding that the United Kingdom Aviation Authority was in contact with the Pakistani authorities concerning the issue.
The British Aviation Safety List includes countries and airlines that are not allowed to operate commercial flights in the United Kingdom due to security problems.
According to the official website of the British government, “all air carriers certified by the authorities responsible for regulatory surveillance in Pakistan are prohibited from the exploitation of commercial air services to, and in the United Kingdom.”
This update comes only a few days after the reports suggested that the British Aviation Safety Committee discussed the lifting of the ban, which had raised hopes among the Pakistani authorities.
The ban was initially applied in July 2020 by the British and European aviation authorities after a major scandal revealed that dozens of Pakistani pilots worked with false licenses.
The Minister of the time, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, admitted the question after the tragic accident of a PIA Airbus A-320 in Karachi, which made nearly 100 lives.
The repercussions of the scandal led to prohibitions across the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States, which cost the airline for losses of around 40 billion rupees (144 million dollars) per year in loss of income.
Despite the ongoing ban in the United Kingdom, PIA marked a small stage in January 2025 by taking direct flights to Europe with a flight from Islamabad to Paris.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafez Khan shared the airline aspirations, saying that once erased by the DFT, “London, Manchester and Birmingham would be the most sought after destinations.”
