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- June 7, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is anticipated to resume flights to Europe shortly, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervaiz Malik said the National Assembly on Friday. In reaction to a notice of concern regarding the prohibition on Pakistani-American flights by the United Kingdom and the European Union, he stated, “A comprehensive action plan from Pakistan has been forwarded to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the verification procedure is ongoing.” “We anticipate the verification process being finished in two to three months and the restoration of flights to Europe,” he continued. Speaking about a “positive development,” the minister stated that Pakistan was removed from the European Commission’s list of countries of concern on May 14.
In 2020, the EASA barred PIA from operating on its most profitable routes in Europe and Britain following a plane tragedy in Karachi that claimed almost 100 lives, and a scandal involving a forged pilot’s license. The airline loses around Rs40 billion in revenue a year as a result of the ongoing embargo. Khawaja Asif, the Federal Minister of Aviation, stated in March that PIA flights to the UK will start up again as soon as they receive approval from EASA by the middle of May. The minister said what he said was based on discussions with “relevant quarters.” However, after further assessments brought up persistent safety concerns, the EU decided to keep its ban on Pakistani carriers. The decision comes after a thorough assessment by the EU Air Safety Committee, which is highlighted by the potential for further inspections.
The committee decided during its most recent meetings that there wasn’t enough justification to change the list of airlines that are currently forbidden from operating in the EU. Air carriers with certification from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) should take particular note of this decision. A critical assessment of the PCAA’s involvement in safety oversight was conducted on-site from November 27 to November 30, 2023, and several areas of concern were found. Despite the authority being manned by technically trained individuals, these included serious understaffing in the Flight Standards Directorate as well as deviations from established safety protocols. In response, on May 6, the PCAA gave a corrective action plan that included steps taken to address the identified inadequacies. In May, this concept was brought up for discussion at a hearing with the EU safety committee.
“Particular attention should be given to the continuous monitoring of the safety situation and developments in Pakistan, through the regular organization of technical meetings in Brussels before each EU Air Safety Committee, and regular progress reporting from PCAA,” ruled the EU Air Safety Committee in its conclusion. If it became necessary, it also kept the option of calling the PCAA to a second hearing at upcoming EU Air Safety Committee sessions. To ensure a PCAA that operates effectively, the panel also emphasized the necessity of maintaining government support and the significance of maintaining leadership stability within the jurisdiction.
According to a study, the commission concluded that there was currently no justification for changing the list of airlines that are prohibited from operating within the union, except for those that hold certification from Pakistan, based on the common standards outlined in the law. It further stated that by giving ramp inspections of air carriers certified in Pakistan priority, EU member states had to keep confirming that these airlines effectively adhere to all applicable international safety requirements. “Further action by the commission may become necessary, by regulation, where any relevant safety information reveals imminent safety risks resulting from non-compliance with the relevant international safety standard.”