UK lifts 5-year ban on Pakistani carriers, allows flights

The United Kingdom on Wednesday (July 16) lifted a five-year ban on Pakistani carriers, thereby allowing them to apply to operate flights to the UK, according to a statement from the British High Commission in Islamabad.

The UK’s Air Safety Committee had imposed the ban after Pakistan’s then aviation minister, in June 2020, disclosed that nearly one-third of the country’s pilots had cheated on their licensing exams.

The claim came after a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crash killed 97 people on May 24, 2020, in the southern city of Karachi.

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Ban lifted

The British High Commission said on Wednesday that the lifting of the ban followed safety improvements implemented by Pakistani authorities.

The decision comes just months after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency also lifted its five-year ban, allowing PIA, Pakistan's national carrier, to resume direct flights to Europe.

“Following air safety improvements, the UK’s Air Safety Committee has lifted UK restrictions on Pakistani carriers,” said a statement from the British High Commission.

Air safety clearance

According to the high commission, decisions on de-listing states and air carriers from the UK Air Safety List are made through an independent aviation safety process overseen by the UK’s Air Safety Committee.

“The committee has judged that necessary safety improvements have been made since its original decision in 2021. Therefore, based on this independent and technically-driven process, it has decided to remove Pakistan and its air carriers from the list,” the statement added.

With over 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK, and thousands of British nationals in Pakistan, the high commission reportedly said the move will help families reconnect and could potentially boost bilateral trade ties.

“Individual airline carriers will still need to apply for permits to operate flights to the UK through the UK Civil Aviation Authority,” the statement further said.

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Significant milestone

British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, expressed gratitude to aviation experts in both countries for their collaborative efforts to meet international safety standards.

“While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends,” Marriott said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the move, stating that it will “ease travel between the UK and Pakistan and help this vital trade relationship grow manifold.”

He, in a post on X added, “The reckless and irresponsible statements made by PTI members caused irreparable reputational damage to Pakistan, grounding our national carrier for years on key global routes, including the UK and Europe."

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Debt-ridden airline

PIA reportedly came into existence in 1955 when the government nationalised a loss-making commercial airline and enjoyed rapid growth until the 1990s.

While several private Pakistani airlines operate domestically and on regional routes — primarily to the Middle East — PIA has reportedly been the only carrier to operate long-haul flights to Britain and the European Union.

Pakistan's government is aiming to privatise the debt-ridden airline. In 2024, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered only a fraction of the asking price.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif reportedly said at a press conference on Wednesday that the resumption of all routes would increase PIA's valuation ahead of privatisation.