The United Kingdom eliminated Pakistan on Wednesday from its air security list, which allowed Pakistani airlines to now apply to operate flights to the United Kingdom, according to a statement from the high British commission in Islamabad.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) In the debt it was forbidden to fly to the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States in June 2020, a month after one of its Airbus A-320 immersed itself in the Karachi model colony, killing almost 100 people. The prohibition of operating Europe rose in November last year.
Today’s development occurs after a team from the United Kingdom Transport Department concluded an aviation security inspection at Islamabad International Airport on Thursday, declaring Pakistan “satisfactory and online security arrangements with international standards.”
“After the improvements in air safety, the United Kingdom Air Safety Committee has raised the restrictions of the United Kingdom to Pakistani carriers,” said a statement from the high British commission.
“Individual airline carriers must still request permits to operate the United Kingdom through the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority.”
The British high commissioner Jane Marriott was summoned by saying: “I am grateful for aviation experts in the United Kingdom and Pakistan for their collaborative work to promote improvements to meet international security standards.
“While flights will resume, once logistics are in place, I hope to use a Pakistani carrier when you visit family and friends.”
In an X publication, Marriott described the approval “an important step and a testimony” of PIA’s air security improvements.
According to the statement, decisions are made on aerial states and carriers from the United Kingdom security list through an independent aviation security process, according to the statement.
“This is supervised by the United Kingdom Air Security Committee, which has [sic] I have been closely involved with the Pakistan civil aviation authority for several years.
“The Committee has judged that necessary security improvements have been made since its original decision in 2021. Therefore, based on this independent and technically promoted process, it has decided to eliminate Pakistan and its aerial carriers from the list.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the measure, saying that he will provide “ease of travel between the United Kingdom and Pakistan will help this vital commercial relationship to grow collect.”
“With more than 1.6 million people of Pakistani inheritance who live in the United Kingdom and thousands of British citizens in Pakistan, today’s announcement provides so expected relief and new opportunities for families and friends to meet,” he wrote in X.
In reaction to today’s development, the Minister of Aviation, Khawaja Asif, praised the government led by his party for “crossing another milestone.” “Three years of continuous hard work have borne fruit,” he said in X.
“The green crescent flag once again is proudly becoming in the heavens,” Asif added, praising its aviation ministry for its efforts.
The measure adds to another positive development, with the United Kingdom government that is launching yesterday to electronic visas for Pakistani students as part of a “improved” border and immigration system.
A day before that, the two countries formally signed the Commercial Dialogue Mechanism Agreement and decided to establish the United Kingdom Business Council-Pakistan Council to institutionalize bilateral economic cooperation.
