United States bans Pakistan International Airlines flights over pilot concerns

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane arrives at the Benazir International airport in Islamabad, Pakistan, December 2, 2015. (REUTERS/ File photo)
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Updated 10 July 2020
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United States bans Pakistan International Airlines flights over pilot concerns

  • Pakistan last month grounded a third of its pilots after discovering they may have falsified qualifications
  • Grounding of pilots followed the crash of a PIA jet in May that killed 97 people


SYDNEY: The US Department of Transportation said it has revoked permission for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to conduct charter flights to the United States, citing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) concerns over Pakistani pilot certifications.

The information is contained in a revocation of special authorization dated July 1 provided by the department to Reuters on Friday.

Pakistan last month grounded almost a third of its pilots after discovering they may have falsified their qualifications.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency suspended PIA’s authorization to fly to the bloc for six months in a blow to the carrier’s operations.

PIA was not available immediately for comment outside normal business hours.

Pakistan’s Geo News reported PIA had confirmed the US ban and said it would address the concerns through ongoing corrective measures within the airline.

Pakistan’s grounding of pilots with dubious credentials followed the crash of a PIA jet in May that killed 97 people.
 


Pakistani official joins global finance leaders at event hosted by Trump-backed venture

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Pakistani official joins global finance leaders at event hosted by Trump-backed venture

  • Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority Chairman Bilal bin Saqib attends World Liberty Financial event at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate
  • Discussions focused on future of global financial infrastructure, digital assets, stablecoins, capital markets innovation, says Saqib’s office 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) Chairman and Minister of State Bilal bin Saqib joined global finance leaders at an event hosted by World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture linked to US President Donald Trump’s family, Saqib’s office said on Thursday. 

The event was hosted by World Liberty Financial, a crypto-based finance platform launched in September 2024 linked to Trump’s family. According to Saqib’s office, the gathering was held at Mar-a-Lago, the private estate and club owned by Trump in Florida. 

Speakers and attendees at the event included David Solomon, chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, Adena Friedman, chairperson and CEO of Nasdaq as well as Lynn Martin, president of the New York Stock Exchange, Saqib’s office said. The event was organized and hosted by Eric Trump and American businesspersons Zach Witkoff and Alex Witkoff. 

“Discussions focused on the future of global financial infrastructure, digital assets, stablecoins, capital markets innovation and the evolving relationship between regulation and emerging financial technologies,” the statement said. 

It said Saqib’s attendance at the event reflected Pakistan’s growing engagement with global discussions shaping the next phase of financial and technological transformation.

“As Pakistan moves toward modernizing its financial infrastructure and strengthening its position in the global digital economy, such high-level engagements signal increasing international recognition of the country’s regulatory direction and leadership,” the statement added. 

Last month, Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding with a company affiliated with World Liberty Financial to explore the use of a dollar-linked stablecoin for cross-border payments.

Pakistan has stepped up efforts recently to regulate its digital asset sector and is exploring digital currency initiatives as part of broader measures to reduce cash usage.