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BRITAIN has lifted a five-year ban on Pakistani airlines, allowing them to apply to resume UK flights just as Islamabad steps up efforts to privatise its national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines, reported Reuters. The ban was imposed in 2020, days after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilot licences issued in the country following a PIA plane crash that killed 97 people.
The British High Commission said the lifting of the ban followed safety improvements by Pakistani authorities. The decision comes just months after the European Union took similar steps. While several private Pakistani airlines operate domestically and on regional routes, primarily to the Middle East, PIA has historically been the only carrier to operate long-haul flights to Britain and the European Union.
PIA had previously estimated an annual revenue loss of around $144 million due to the ban. The airline has long considered UK routes, including London, Manchester, and Birmingham, among its most profitable, and holds sought-after landing slots at London’s Heathrow Airport that could become active again. PIA’s spokesperson said the airline was finalising preparations to resume UK flights “in the shortest possible time” and had submitted its proposed schedule.
Flights would resume with the Islamabad-Manchester route, with three weekly flights planned initially pending schedule approval, the spokesperson added.
