UK-bound PIA flights restart following long suspension

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Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed its UK flights on Saturday, five years after it was banned in July over a fake pilot license scandal.

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif officially inaugurated the resumption of PIA flight operations in the UK.

Speaking at the inauguration, ASIF said the suspension of PIA’s UK operations had caused a significant financial loss to the government, but added that the airline’s standards had now been restored.

“We have successfully restored the quality and reputation of our national airline,” he said.

Asif praised the efforts of Pakistan’s diplomatic staff and said that their tireless work had played a major role in lifting the ban. He also acknowledged the cooperation of the British High Commissioner.

The event was attended by British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, Defense Secretary, and other senior officials.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Britain, Mohammad Faisal, said the Islamabad-Manchester flight could open the door for operations in several other British cities.

Faisal told The Telegraph in an interview that the issues that led to the suspension had been resolved, adding that the airline had worked to restore confidence after the 2020 Karachi plane crash that killed 97 people and exposed the use of bogus licenses by some pilots.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Britain, Mohammad Faisal, told The Telegraph that the Islamabad-Manchester flight could open the door for operations in several other British cities.

Faisal noted that the issues that led to the suspension have been resolved, adding that the airline has worked to restore confidence after the 2020 Karachi plane crash that killed 97 people and exposed the use of fake licenses among some pilots.

It was revealed that before the catastrophic collision, the pilots of the flight had been distracted and distracted as they talked about the coronavirus pandemic while preparing for the initial failed attempt.

The government launched criminal investigations into 50 pilots and at least five civil aviation officials who allegedly helped them falsify credentials to secure licenses.

Almost three months after the investigation, authorities reportedly grounded dozens of pilots on dubious qualifications. At the time, the civil aviation regulator said it would conduct a detailed investigation into the scandal.

Britain lifted a five-year ban in July, allowing Pakistani airlines to apply to resume flights to the UK as Islamabad seeks to privatize its national carrier.

The PIA had earlier estimated an annual revenue loss of around 40 billion rupees ($144 million) due to the ban.

The airline has long looked at UK routes, which include London, Manchester and Birmingham, among its most profitable, and is looking for landing slots at London’s Heathrow airport that could once again become active..

Faisal told The Telegraph that mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that pilot qualifications are closely scrutinized to the satisfaction of UK and European safety regulators.

“We’ve gone through a rigorous process of setting up a new system, which includes some external inspectors and people who oversee pilot licensing,” the official told the British newspaper.

“Pakistani pilots are known all over the world, and they are flying planes in all the leading airlines. They are much sought after. So we don’t have a pilot problem like in Pakistan.”

According to the Telegraph, the national airline has upgraded its security and maintenance systems, with its flight crew re-screened and certified in the UK.