Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has hit yet another roadblock in its bid to resume flights to the United Kingdom, as the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced a fresh delay this week.
Despite PIA’s recent triumph in securing approval to operate in the European Union in November 2024, the UK remains unconvinced.
It leaves the airline’s return to major hubs like London, Manchester, and Birmingham in limbo. At the core of this prolonged ordeal are persistent worries about safety, a shadow that continues to loom over PIA’s operations.
PIA Historical Air Safety Issues
The airline’s woes trace back to July 2020, when a scandal involving fake pilot licenses rocked Pakistan’s aviation industry, undermining confidence in PIA’s safety practices.
The crisis deepened with the devastating crash of PIA Flight 8303 in May 2020, which killed 97 people and triggered airspace bans from both the UK and EU. The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) came under fire for its lax oversight, forcing a sweeping reform effort.
By November 2024, those efforts paid off when the EU lifted its restrictions, satisfied with the PCAA’s upgraded safety measures.
PIA saw this as a turning point and anticipated a similar green light from the UK. Yet, the UK CAA and the Department for Transport (DfT) have held firm, demanding a meticulous evaluation before easing their stance.
Recent Incidents Reignite Safety Concerns
The UK’s reluctance isn’t baseless. Early 2025 brought two troubling incidents that reignited doubts about PIA’s reliability. On January 17, an Airbus A320 touched down on a closed runway in Lahore, a blunder that sparked immediate concern.
Then, on March 12, another A320 suffered a main gear tire failure during a landing in the same city. While neither event led to disaster, they’ve kept PIA squarely in the spotlight, amplifying the UK CAA’s wariness about restoring flight permissions.
In January 2025, a delegation from the UK CAA traveled to Karachi to scrutinize PIA and the PCAA, zeroing in on adherence to global safety benchmarks.
Pakistani authorities were buoyant, expecting approval by spring. However, the DfT dashed those hopes on March 25, affirming that PIA remains barred from UK skies on the Air Safety List.
A DfT representative acknowledged ongoing discussions with Pakistan but declined to pin down a resolution date, leaving the timeline murky.
Conclusion
For PIA, the UK routes are a vital artery, catering to a sizable Pakistani community and raking in roughly PKR 40 billion yearly. With the airline already wrestling with financial woes and privatization pressures, this revenue loss stings.
PIA has expressed exasperation, insisting it has aligned with international norms and earned the right to fly again. But the UK isn’t swayed, and the next Air Safety Committee meeting, set for May or June 2025, looms as PIA’s next shot at redemption.
Until then, the airline must bide its time and bolster its safety record to win over scepticism. For travelers itching to book flights, the holdup is a letdown. For regulators, it’s about credibility.
The UK CAA’s uncompromising approach underscores its dedication to protecting passengers, even if it stalls PIA’s recovery.
As things stand, PIA’s future in the UK teeters on a knife-edge, hinging on whether it can persuade one of the world’s toughest aviation watchdogs that it’s truly turned the corner.
