This is bad news if you were hoping to hop on a PIA flight to Blighty anytime soon. The UK’s Department for Transport has confirmed that Pakistan International Airlines is still grounded in British skies.
In plain English? PIA remains firmly parked on the UK Air Safety List – aka the aviation naughty step – alongside other airlines deemed too dodgy to fly to, from, or within the United Kingdom.
A spokesperson told Geo News that the UK Civil Aviation Authority is “engaging” with its Pakistani counterpart. Translation: lots of paperwork, emails, and polite headshakes, but no takeoffs just yet.
In This Post
A Whole Lotta Audit, Not Much Altitude
The ban has been in place since 2020 when the infamous fake pilot licence scandal broke. Yes, you read that right – counterfeit licences. Like something out of a Catch Me If You Can reboot, except no one’s laughing.
The whole thing came to light after a tragic PIA crash in Karachi, which killed nearly 100 people. The then-aviation minister casually announced that almost one-third of all Pakistani pilots had no licences. Understandably, that didn’t sit well with UK and EU regulators, who promptly clipped PIA’s wings.
Fast-forward to now, and while PIAs managed to return to Paris earlier this year, London, Manchester, and Birmingham are still off-limits.
Another Delay? You Bet.
The UK air safety authorities were expected to decide on 20 March, but it was bumped to 25 March. Now, it’s been delayed again, reportedly thanks to a PIA aircraft whose tyre detached mid-flight. You can’t make this stuff up.
Airbus and global safety bodies are poking around the incident. Until the investigation wraps up, PIA’s UK ambitions remain stuck at the gate.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority says it’s still awaiting a formal response from the Brits. PIA, ever the optimist, says it’s expecting a “positive response.” Brave.
Numbers Don’t Lie… But Planes Might
Since the ban, PIA has been losing money – Rs40 billion (that’s about $144 million) in lost annual revenue. Even with 87 international agreements and juicy landing slots, it’s struggling to compete with the Gulf giants hoovering up Pakistan’s global traffic.
With only 34 aircraft and a 23% domestic market share, it’s a David vs multiple Emirates-sized Goliaths scenario. And David’s not even allowed on the runway yet.
Bottom Line?
Unless regulators say otherwise, there’s no tea, scones, or Heathrow for PIA. You might want to get comfy if you’re holding out for a direct PIA flight to the UK. Or, better yet, book with someone else.
