PIA achieves 'perfect' safety ratings from European aviation watchdog

KARACHI: European aviation watchdog, Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) has expressed satisfaction with the safety standards of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and lowered its safety hazard index to zero, ARY News reported.

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) achieved the safety targets of the European aviation watchdog and the zero safety hazard index granted by the SAFA brought the national air carrier amongst the best global airlines having the safest operating records.

PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arshad Malik said in a statement that the airline achieved a ‘perfect safety score’.

READ: UN AVIATION AGENCY ICAO TO CONDUCT SAFETY AUDIT OF CAA IN JULY

He added that SAFA’s inspections of commercial aircraft landing in Europe, Canada and the Gulf are conducted on regular basis and PIA achieved the target for the first time in history.

He praised the dedicated and sincere efforts of the national flag carrier that showed magnificent results and now the airline is now standing at zero ratio which is the perfect safety ratings of SAFA. Arshad Malik said that it is a huge manifestation of adherence to world-class safety and airworthiness standards.

Alhamodillah #PIA achieves perfect safety score. Under @EASA mandate, Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) inspections of commercial aircraft landing in Europe, Canada & Gulf is conducted on regular basis & is assessed. #PIA for 1st time in its history has achieved… pic.twitter.com/fmF7v6iXYk

— Air Marshal Arshad Malik (@amarshadmalik) November 5, 2021

The PIA CEO said that the airline’s team has made the country proud.

The airline achieved the safety ratings in October 20 audit after a one-year assessment of SAFA of PIA’s Boeing 777 and Airbus 320 aircraft.

READ: EASA REFUSES TO LIFT BAN ON PIA’S EUROPE FLIGHTS

After the pilots’ licence scandal, SAFA was consistently conducting the scrutiny and audit of the PIA aircraft at the international airports.

It is important to mention here that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had suspended the authorisation of the PIA to operate flights in the bloc for six months in the first week of July last year following the pilots’ licence scandal.