UK aviation experts conclude audit of CAA, PIA

Visit aimed at helping Pakistan get off the UK’s Air Safety List

ISLAMABAD:

A British aviation team concluded on Friday its 12-day visit aimed at sharing best practice on air safety performance and building relationships with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), the British High Commission said in a statement.

The visit by UK State Safety Partnership (SSP) team was funded by the UK Department for Transport. The team worked closely with the PCAA and the industry to lay the foundations for long-term collaboration on safety performance.

Currently, all air carriers certified by the PCAA remain on the UK’s Air Safety List due to safety concerns. The SSP team’s support will not directly lead to the removal of Pakistan from the list, but the programme had been designed to help Pakistan’s authorities achieve this goal.

Andrew Dalgleish, Chargé d’ Affaires at the British High Commission, Islamabad, said that direct flights between the UK and Pakistan were a helpful channel for businesses and people-to-people contacts.

“The British High Commission understands how important this is for Pakistani airline companies. This visit and ongoing support signify our commitment to help the Pakistani authorities achieve this for the benefit of the citizens of both the UK and Pakistan.”

Pakistan is required to demonstrate compliance with international safety standards in order to get off the Air Safety List. It is a comprehensive process requiring the provision of evidence, on-site assessments and technical hearings.

Sources said on Thursday that the team – led by Capt Malcolm Rusby, the head of the State Safety Partnership Programme at UK CAA – arrived in Karachi for the audit of the PCAA and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

After the audit, according to the sources, another team of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was expected to visit Pakistan in March or April. After that audit, the ban on Pakistani airlines to European countries was expected to be lifted, they added.