UK team begins aviation safety audit ahead of resumption of PIA flights
Business
The delegation to visit airlines to assess compliance with international standards
KARACHI (Web Desk) - A delegation of the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority began a safety audit of Pakistan’s aviation standards on Wednesday, a civil aviation spokesperson confirmed, ahead of the resumption of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights between the two countries.
The UK team arrived in Pakistan on Monday to examine aviation safety protocols, review documentation and evaluate operational procedures in Pakistan, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said.
The UK delegation is also scheduled to visit airlines to assess compliance with international standards.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted its ban on PIA operating in the bloc in November, ending a restriction imposed in 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.
The suspension followed an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses issued in the country after a PIA plane crash that killed 97 people. PIA resumed Europe operations with a flight from Islamabad to Paris on Jan 10.
Read more: PIA's flights to UK likely to resume within two to three months, Senate told
“The audit is underway right now,” Air Commodore (retired) Shahid Qadir, a PCAA spokesperson, told Arab News.
“We have made our preparations and are hopeful for a positive outcome.”
In a statement earlier this week, the PCAA said its officials had been engaged in technical talks with UK authorities for months.
EASA said in November that the decision to allow PIA to operate in the EU was based on the “significant efforts” made by the PCAA.
Pakistan had grounded 262 of its 860 pilots, including 141 of PIA’s 434, whose licenses were deemed “dubious” by the then aviation minister. The investigation ultimately did not reveal any major concerns but the suspension remained in place.
The ban was costing PIA nearly Rs40 billion ($144 million) in revenue annually, according to government records presented in parliament.
