PIA flights to Europe: PCAA delegation departs for Brussels to hold talks

KARACHI: Major progress was made on the restoration of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to Europe as a delegation of the Civil Aviation Authority departed for Brussels to hold talks, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The five-member delegation of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) will hold talks in Brussels with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Commission regarding the restoration of PIA flights.

The PCAA officials will brief the EASA regarding the steps being taken for the issuance of licences to the pilots.

Earlier in the month, civil aviation officials briefed the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on the revival of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to Europe.

EASA is responsible for ensuring safety and environmental protection in air transport in Europe.

Read more: UK denies to lift ban on PIA flights

Sources told ARY News that PCAA officials had an eight-hour-long online season with the EASA officials in which they answered the regulator’s queries. The Civil Aviation Authority officials briefed the EASA about licensing, registration, oversight and other departments.

The European regulator will visit Pakistan if it is satisfied with the arrangements made by the CAA for the revival of PIA flights to the region, the source said.

Earlier, the United Kingdom (UK) refused to lift the ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights, expressing its safety reservations to the country’s Civil Aviation Authority.

Sources privy to the development said the Air Safety Unit of the British Department of Transport (DfT) had written a letter to the CAA to convey its concerns over the measures it had taken for flight dependability. The letter was received by CAA on September 8, 2022.