KARACHI: The United Kingdom is set to make a pivotal decision on March 20, 2025, regarding the five-year ban on Pakistani airlines, including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), as the UK Air Safety Committee convenes to review the restriction. Pakistani aviation officials are cautiously optimistic, hoping the move could restore direct flights to key British cities and revive a vital revenue stream.
The ban, imposed in July 2020 by UK and European authorities, followed a scandal over fake pilot licenses revealed after a deadly PIA crash in Karachi that killed nearly 100 people. The fallout grounded PIA’s operations to the UK and Europe, costing the debt-laden airline an estimated Rs40 billion ($144 million) annually. While the European Union lifted its restrictions in November 2024, allowing PIA to resume flights to Paris in January 2025, the UK has yet to follow suit—until now.
Tomorrow’s meeting will assess the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s (PCAA) safety reforms, bolstered by recent audits and engagements with UK regulators. A CAA spokesperson expressed confidence, noting that the PCAA has met stringent international standards, a claim validated by the EU’s decision. If approved, PIA aims to prioritize routes to London, Manchester, and Birmingham—cities with significant Pakistani diaspora communities and high travel demand.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan called the potential clearance a “game-changer,” highlighting the airline’s struggle to compete with Middle Eastern carriers dominating 60% of Pakistan’s international market share. Before the ban, PIA operated seven weekly routes to the UK, a network it hopes to rebuild. The UK Department for Transport (DfT) and Civil Aviation Authority have been tight-lipped, but recent visits by UK officials to Pakistan signal progress.
The decision, expected by late tomorrow, could mark a turning point for PIA amid its privatization push and ongoing financial woes. For now, Pakistan’s aviation sector—and its travelers—await a verdict that could reopen the skies to Britain after half a decade.
