Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said Wednesday that the authorities in the United Kingdom have not yet decided if they would raise the airline’s flight prohibition.
The statement occurs in the midst of reports that the prohibition of flight of the national flag carrier had extended. The European Aviation Security Agency (EASA) and the United Kingdom authorities had suspended permission for PIA to operate in the region in June 2020 after Pakistan began investigating the validity of the pilots’ licenses after a mortal plane accident that killed 97 people.
The prohibition that PIA operated in the EU was raised]4 by the European Aviation Security Agency (EASA) in November last year, which was a prerequisite for the approval of the United Kingdom Transportation Department (DFT) to allow Pia to resume its flights to the United Kingdom. A DFT delegation from the United Kingdom had visited Pakistan to evaluate aviation security standards in February as well.
“The United Kingdom DFT has not made any announcements or any letter has been received,” said spokesman’s statement today.
“All institutions related to aviation in Pakistan are in constant contact with them and are carrying out their work in a coordinated way.”
Rumors and speculation should be avoided in this regard, the statement added.
After the approval of EASA, PIA finally resumed flights to Europe with a flight to Paris from Islamabad in January of this year.
To celebrate the relaunch, Pia decorated the plane with a model of the Eiffel Tower in its tail and the slogan “I Love Paris” in the nose. The Boeing 777 was prepared in line with the aviation standards of the European Union.
A DFT delegation from the United Kingdom visited the headquarters of PIA and inspected the flight operations of the national flag, the safety and flight engineering.
The United Kingdom team was well received by the general director of the Civil Aviation Authority, Nadir Shafi Dar, and the heads of several departments.
Meanwhile, the Privatization Commission last week recommended that the Cabinet Committee on privatization, a transaction structure for the second attempt by Pakistan International Airlines Company Ltd (PIACL) based on the divestment of 51 to 100 percent of the capital of the bearer of the national flag.
The proposed divestment will also be together with the airline management control. The final terms and conditions for the transfer and acquisition of capital participation will be completed during the course of the bidding process and will be established in the bidding documents for approval of the Cabinet Committee on privatization.
