CAA urges EU to restore PIA op

Regulator briefs EASA on aviation safety measures

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has informed the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) that it has fulfilled all conditions related to aviation safety and has requested permission for the national flag carrier—Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)—to resume flights to the European Union and United Kingdom.

According to sources, several online technical sessions have taken place between the CAA and EASA officials over the past two days. During these extensive sessions, discussions focused on the restoration of PIA flights to Europe and the UK.

In these sessions, which lasted several hours, the CAA team briefed European officials on the safety measures taken by Pakistan. It informed EASA that it had completed all the required conditions set by the agency. The CAA also requested that the EU authority grant immediate permission for the restoration of Pakistani airlines.

According to sources, the government wants PIA flights to Europe and the UK to resume before the privatization process of PIA is completed.

As reported in The Express Tribune on July 20, EASA is scheduled to hold a meeting in November this year to discuss lifting the ban on all Pakistani airlines, including PIA. The meeting, scheduled for November 19 to 21, will evaluate the progress made by Pakistani airlines and the CAA regarding aviation safety.

EASA reviews airlines every six months. In its last meeting on May 31, EASA declined to lift the ban. The ban was initially imposed on PIA and other Pakistani airlines in June 2020 following a scandal involving the issuance of fake pilot licenses.