Direct flights to UK may resume soon

Security assessment team satisfied with measures in place at Islamabad airport

ISLAMABAD:

An assessment team of the UK Department for Transport (UK-DfT) on Thursday expressed its satisfaction with the security measures in place at the Islamabad International Airport and appreciated the steps taken to ensure safe flight operations -- hinting that planes would start flying directly from the country to the kingdom soon.

The UK-DfT security assessment team completed its review of the arrangements at the Islamabad airport put in place by the various government agencies.

The UK inspectors assessed the aviation procedures and processes at the airport, including passenger handling; crew; baggage delivery and vehicle screening; as well as aircraft and cargo security measures.

The purpose of the visit by the UK-DfT team was to review the overall security measures at the airport, particularly for direct flights to and from the UK, read a statement.

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“Additional security measures for direct flights to the UK and other measures at the airport were also examined. All entities responsible for implementing aviation security measures at the airport were scrutinised and generally found to adhere to the standards set by the UK-DfT,” it added.

During the visit, the team also made a few recommendations to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). “Such engagements will further promote aviation relations between the two countries,” said Abdul Ghaffar, the first secretary aviation at the British High Commission.

The four-member UK-DfT team will leave Islamabad for the UK on Friday (today). Its final report of the assessment would be submitted to the CAA within three weeks.