CAA chief hopes EU will lift flight ban next month

A delegation led by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director General Khaqan Murtaza will attend a of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) scheduled for May to review the revival of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations in Europe.

During the meeting, the authority will scrutinize a report on the audit of various departments of the CAA in light of EASA standards

In a statement, DG CAA Murtaza said that EASA is likely to lift restrictions on Pakistan after the safety review board meeting.

If this occurs, PIA flights to Europe and the UK will resume after a prolonged hiatus, he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that in November 2023, an EASA team visited Pakistan to assess various aspects of the CAA and PIA, including licensing, flight safety, flight standards, and airworthiness.

EASA had imposed a ban on the flight operations of the national flag carrier following a PIA plane crash in Karachi in May 2020.

The EASA in a letter conveyed to the national flag carrier, said that they had suspended the Third Country Operator (TCO) Authorisation to PIA after it failed to comply with the proposed corrective action plans (CAPs).

It said that six findings were raised with the PIA officials during meetings in June and September 2019, out of which five of the action plans were implemented while one other concerning element of a Safety Management System was not implemented.