After a four-year suspension, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency has lifted its ban on Pakistan International Airlines.
“EASA has lifted the suspension of the third country operator authorization issued to Pakistan International Airlines,” the EASA said in a statement released on November 29, 2024.
“PIA plans to approach the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) for UK route resumption, as EASA clearance is a prerequisite for their decision,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan told Reuters.
The suspension, which was imposed in June 2020, stemmed from concerns about the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s (PCAA) ability to uphold international aviation standards following a tragic PIA crash.
EASA and UK authorities suspended permission for PIA to operate in the region after Pakistan began investigating the validity of pilots’ licenses following a deadly plane crash that killed 97 people.
