CAA seeks end of UK ban after PIA resumes Europe flights

After the resumption of Pakistan International Airlines' direct flights to Europe, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has become active in efforts to lift the ban imposed on the airline’s operations to the UK.

According to sources at the CAA, a delegation from the UK’s Department for Transport (DFT) will visit Pakistan in mid-January. PIA's direct flight operations to the UK are expected to resume in February. The UK Civil Aviation team will arrive in Karachi between January 15 and 17, 2025, Express News reported.

The CAA has contacted British aviation authorities to request an exemption in the security audit process. The UK DFT has shown a willingness to grant this exemption and expressed confidence in CAA's manual report. The British aviation team will formally conduct a safety audit of both CAA and PIA.

The British aviation team has already conducted an audit of PIA and CAA, with successful results. CAA Director-General Nader Shafi Dar is personally leading safety and security teams to ensure the timely resumption of direct flights to the UK.

The CAA will brief the DFT delegation during their visit. There is strong hope that the ban on PIA’s direct flights to the UK will be lifted by February. PIA is ready to resume its operations to the UK, with direct flights to Manchester initially, followed by London and other cities in the second phase. PIA will operate its Boeing 777 aircraft for flights to Europe and the UK.

Earlier, Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat was reappointed as the CEO of PIA, according to a notification issued by the Pakistani government. Hayat will serve as the acting CEO until a permanent appointment is mad

Previously, according to a PIA spokesperson, with the expansion of its network and the potential resumption of flights to the UK and Europe, the national air carrier is in the process of rejuvenating its aircraft that had been in storage for a long time, bringing them back into the operational fleet.

According to the management's plan, the operational fleet of Boeing 777 will reach eight aircraft. Similarly, the management has planned to increase the number of A-320 aircraft to 12 and ATR planes to two.

"This fleet requirement is in line with the aggressive operational plan that PIA has set for itself for the year 2025," the airline official said.

Pakistan to export trained pilots for foreign airlines

Director General CAA Nadir Shafi Dar announced plans on Wednesday to export trained Pakistani pilots to meet the demand of international airlines.

Addressing a press briefing, Dar pointed out the shortage of cockpit pilots in the region and revealed that the CAA has already initiated efforts to address the issue.

He said that while Pakistani aviation was preparing enough pilots to meet local airline needs, any surplus would be offered to foreign carriers.

Dar disclosed that two international companies have expressed interest in the initiative, with one already commencing Phase 1 of the project.