The United Kingdom has confirmed it will continue to bar Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from its airspace, extending a four-year ban linked to ongoing aviation safety concerns.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the UK Department for Transport (DfT) said the ban remains in effect, stressing that carriers must pass a rigorous safety reassessment process before any restrictions can be lifted. Discussions are reportedly ongoing between the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Pakistani regulators, but no timeline for reinstatement has been provided.
The UK’s Air Safety List currently prohibits all Pakistani-certified airlines from operating commercial services to or from the United Kingdom. According to the official UK government website, this restriction applies to any air carrier overseen by Pakistan’s aviation authority.
Fake licenses saga
In the wake of PIA 2020 crash, Aviation Minister at the time, Ghulam Sarwar Khan had revealed that there were 860 active pilots in the country working with domestic commercial airlines — including the national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Khan said that 262 of the pilots “did not take the exam themselves” to get a pilots’ license and instead paid someone else to appear on their behalf.
Some of them “don’t have even flying experience”, he stressed while highlighting other massive irregularities such as nepotism that have plagued PIA, blaming them on previous governments.
Khan revealed these details about the number of pilots with dubious licenses while sharing with lawmakers details of a preliminary investigation into the May 22, 2020 PIA plane crash in the southern city of Karachi that killed 97 people.
Ban stays in place
Hopes had recently risen following reports that the British Air Safety Committee was reviewing PIA’s case, but Tuesday’s confirmation dashed expectations of an early return to British skies. The ban has been in place since July 2020, following the revelation that dozens of Pakistani pilots were operating with fake licenses.
The scandal erupted after a PIA Airbus A320 crashed in Karachi, killing nearly 100 people. Then-aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan admitted to the license issue during a parliamentary session, prompting immediate flight suspensions by the UK, European Union, and United States.
Since then, the airline has faced substantial financial losses, with estimates suggesting a revenue hit of over Rs40 billion ($144 million) annually. The suspension from key Western markets has also impacted PIA’s credibility and international reach.
Despite the challenges, PIA marked a limited milestone in January 2025 by resuming direct flights from Islamabad to Paris, raising hopes of a broader European comeback. A spokesperson, Abdullah Hafeez Khan, said PIA is ready to resume UK flights to London, Manchester, and Birmingham once clearance is granted.
As regulatory hurdles continue abroad, the Pakistani government is accelerating its efforts to privatize the airline. The Cabinet Committee on Privatisation, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, recently approved a fast-tracked plan to sell a majority stake—between 51% and 100%—along with management rights.
Dar reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the privatization process, stating it is necessary to unlock PIA’s potential and ease the fiscal burden on the national budget.
