PIA embarked upon implementing the regulation in April 2014 and has now been validated to transport cargo and mail to European Union and beyond, said a statement.
Based on the EU ACC3 regulation, it has been made mandatory for all airlines to be approved by independent validators before any cargo or mail can enter the EU airspace.
The regulation required strict standards to be implemented as Pakistan has been declared a high risk country by the EU.
As part of its effort to comply with the regulation, PIA procured screening equipment like Dual View Rapiscan machines and Explosive Trace Detectors for three major Pakistani airports, said Director Quality Assurance Captain Salman Azhar
Azhar added that this validation will help the national carrier generate billions of rupees in revenue and help the country’s export sector.
“The airline officials have also attained expert training from UK instructors in order to implement the regulation effectively.”
PIA is the only Pakistani airline operating cargo service to Europe. It runs the cargo operations from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad on its Boeing 777 and Airbus 310 jets.
The airline found itself caught up in the tough regulation called Air Cargo or Mail Carrier operating into the Union from a Third Country (ACC3), which required carriers to take certain security screening measures by July 31, 2014.
ACC3, which came in wake of October 2010 attempt to fly explosives hidden in a printer cartridge from a Middle Eastern state, has also placed countries in three separate categories.
The two-step validation was done by IATA approved independent validators, this will be valid for ten years.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2014.
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