UK Lifts Five-Year Ban on Pakistani Airlines Amid Reforms and Privatisation Push

Britain has cancelled a five-year ban on Pakistani air carriers, allowing them to renew operations to and from the country.

The UK Air Safety connected the move with what it described as “aviation safety improvements in Pakistan,” according to a statement by the British High Commission in Islamabad. The ruling stemmed from “an independent and technically-driven process” and not politically influenced, as per the High Commission.

“Based on this independent and technically-driven process, it has decided to remove Pakistan and its air carriers from the [UK Air Safety] List,” the statement read.

The measure came just months after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency lifted its own four-year ban on PIA. The company resumed flights to Europe in January.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the move, dubbing it as “an important milestone for the country,” adding that that the decision was “a source of relief for Pakistanis residing in Britain,” many of whom have used other airlines or circuitous travel routes since the ban was introduced in 2020.

At a press conference in Islamabad, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif praised the measure and warned about what he described as past mismanagement. He accused former Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan for making “baseless” and remarks that led to the ban.

The latter was initially imposed in June 2020, just a month after a deadly PIA crash in Karachi that claimed 97 lives. According to the probes, the accident was linked to human error by both the pilots and air traffic controllers. Adding to the fire, investigations outlined suspicions that almost one-third of the country’s pilot licences were fake or dubious.

Ever since the PIA crash, Pakistan has reformed the fields oof aviation safety and regulatory oversight.

PIA has been the only Pakistan’s airline providing travel to Europe and the UK. Before the ban, routes to London, Manchester, and Birmingham were among PIA’s most profitable. The airline employs over 7,000 people but has long struggled with unpaid bills and safety violations, and regulatory hurdles. In 2024, a privatisation deal collapsed after a bidder offered far below the initial price.

The Pakistani government is now optimistic about the future of the situation in question. Four groups have been approved to bid for a 51 to 100 percent stake in the airline.

“We are confident that these developments will increase the value of PIA and make it more attractive to serious investors,” said a senior official at the Ministry of Aviation.

PIA was founded in 1955 after the government nationalised a struggling commercial airline. It enjoyed steady growth through the 1980s and early 1990s before entering a prolonged period of decline.

With input from Al Jazeera.