UK DfT confirms that PIA will continue to be banned from flying to and from the United Kingdom

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Karachi: The UK Department for Transport (DfT) announced on Tuesday that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) would not be allowed to fly to or from the United Kingdom, denying rumors that the airline will soon resume operations after a four-year ban, according to The Express Tribune.

Before limitations are removed, airlines must go through a thorough evaluation process, according to a DfT representative, who also said that the UK Civil Aviation Authority was in talks with Pakistani authorities. But no timeframe for when the prohibition may be reexamined has been given.

All airlines authorized by Pakistan’s aviation authority are still prohibited from conducting commercial flights to, from, or within British airspace by the UK Air Safety List.

Despite recent rumors that the British Air Safety Committee had explored the potential of removing the ban, which briefly raised optimism among Pakistani officials, this regulatory restriction, which is intended to ensure passenger safety, is still in place, according to the Express Tribune.

Both UK and European officials first enforced the ban in July 2020 after learning that many Pakistani pilots were operating with fictitious licenses. Following a PIA Airbus A-320 tragedy in Karachi that claimed over 100 lives, then-Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan acknowledged the problem. PIA lost an estimated Rs40 billion (USD 144 million) in income per year as a result of the scam, which led to sanctions in many countries, including the US and the EU.

In January 2025, PIA made a minor accomplishment by restoring direct flights to Europe, beginning with a route from Islamabad to Paris, despite the ongoing limitations in the UK. London, Manchester, and Birmingham would be the airline’s top objectives for restarting operations if it were to obtain clearance from British authorities, according to PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan.

In the meanwhile, proposals to privatize PIA are being advanced by the Pakistani government. According to The Express Tribune, the Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCOP) authorized a streamlined procedure to sell between 51% and 100% of the airline’s share capital, including managerial control.

As part of an attempt to lessen the airline’s financial burden on the national exchequer, the decision was reached during a meeting chaired by Senator Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister. Dar reaffirmed the government’s resolve to use privatization to realize PIA’s full potential.