Britain has lifted a five-year ban on Pakistani airlines following improvements in the country’s aviation safety standards.
The UK’s Air Safety Committee imposed the ban in 2020, days after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilot licences issued in the country following a plane crash that killed 97 people on May 24, 2020, in the southern city of Karachi.
The British High Commission said on Wednesday that the lifting of the ban followed safety improvements by Pakistani authorities, allowing airlines to apply to resume UK flights.
Earlier this year, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency also lifted its five-year-long ban, and the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed direct flights to Europe soon after.
While several private Pakistani airlines operate domestically and on regional routes, primarily to the Middle East, PIA has historically been the only carrier to operate long-haul flights to Britain and the European Union.
PIA had previously estimated an annual revenue loss of around 40 billion rupees ($144 million) due to the ban.
The airline has long considered UK routes, including London, Manchester, and Birmingham, among its most profitable, and holds sought-after landing slots at London’s Heathrow Airport that could become active again.
PIA’s spokesperson said the airline was finalising preparations to resume UK flights “in the shortest possible time” and had submitted its proposed schedule.
Flights would resume with the Islamabad-Manchester route, with three weekly flights planned initially pending schedule approval, the spokesperson added.
Earlier this month, Pakistan approved four groups to bid for a 51-100 per cent stake in PIA. Final bids are expected later this year.
The government is hoping that recent reforms, which led to the airline’s first operating profit in 21 years, will help attract buyers under a broader IMF-backed privatisation push.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif welcomed the decision.
During a press conference on Wednesday, he attributed the ban to what he described as “baseless” remarks made by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan. He said Khan’s claim tarnished the country’s image and triggered significant financial losses for PIA.
He said the resumption of all routes would improve PIA’s value ahead of the privatisation and confirmed there were plans to restart flights to New York.
