ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will resume flights to Europe, US and other destinations by March, the aviation minister said on Thursday, as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has withdrawn its objections over the country’s 2020 fake pilot licenses controversy.
Pakistani carriers were barred from operating flights to Europe by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2020 after the country’s aviation minister, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, said 40 percent of Pakistani pilots had obtained dubious licenses.
The minister had said that these pilots had cheated on their mandatory license exams. His statement caused damage to Pakistan’s national flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), as its flights were restricted around the world, and also dealt a blow to the civil aviation industry’s image.
The statement from the minister came after a May 22, 2020 plane crash in Karachi killed more than 90 people.
On Thursday, however, the ICAO said Pakistan had resolved significant safety concerns over the pilots’ fake licenses issue
Sarwar held a press conference on Thursday to announce the “good news” for the new year, adding that Pakistan would also start flight operations to Central Asian destinations such as Tashkent, Baku and Bishkek.
The minister said Pakistan is hoping to resume flight operations to three destinations in the UK, London, Birmingham and Manchester. He said the country also wants to resume flight operations to Oslo and Paris in mainland Europe.
He said flight operations to Canada would also resume soon.
Speaking about the ICAO audit team’s visit to Pakistan, Sarwar said he had invited them to see for themselves how Pakistani authorities had resolved their safety concerns and taken steps to improve the training and licensing processes for the pilots.
During their visit to Pakistan last year, the ICAO audit team inspected Pakstan’s Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) flying clubs, observed the domestic flight departures and also visited Pakistan’s airports. They also examined the safety measures in place and received the pilot examination system.
The minister said the CAA had contacted UK’s CAA, EASA and the US’s civil aviation to inform them that the safety concerns raised by the ICAO had been resolved and asked them to lift the restrictions imposed on Pakistani-registered aircraft.
Pakistan to restart flights to EU, US, UK by March — aviation minister
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Pakistan to restart flights to EU, US, UK by March — aviation minister
- Pakistan to resume flight operations to three destinations in the UK, Birmingham, London and Manchester
- Pakistan’s civil aviation contacts EU and US civil aviations, ask them to lift ban on Pakistani carriers
Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport
Pakistan bank enables Shariah-compliant digital payment facility for passengers at Islamabad airport
- Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions in the informal sector are made without any taxes, officials say
- The move comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to introduce a cashless model at airports under which only digital service providers can provide services
KARACHI: Aik, Pakistan’s first Islamic digital bank, has enabled fully digital payments at Islamabad International Airport to offer travelers and passengers secure, Shariah compliant digital transaction facility.
The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to introduce a cashless model at airports across the country, under which only digital service providers can provide services to customers.
Aik, a subsidiary of Bank Islami, said it has onboarded merchants across the Islamabad airport and integrated QR code deployments at key touchpoints to allow passengers and visitors to make secure, seamless, and Shariah-compliant digital transactions at all counters, retail outlets, and service points.
It said the implementation complies with the regulations and framework set by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and is a working model for a large-scale adoption of cashless systems in public infrastructure.
“This deployment reflects our commitment to building practical digital infrastructure that improves everyday transactions,” Aik Chief Officer Ashfaque Ahmed said in a statement.
“By enabling a fully cashless environment at a major national gateway, we are supporting efficiency, transparency, and financial inclusion at scale. This is not only a project; it is a foundation for Pakistan’s cashless future.”
Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in the informal sector, are conducted in cash. Officials say many of these transactions are aimed at avoiding taxes.
In recent years, the SBP has taken steps to ensure a transition toward a more cashless economy so that transactions are more traceable, reducing chances of tax evasion and corruption.
By digitizing Islamabad airport, aik said it continues to invest in secure and accessible financial solutions that “expand digital participation and support national economic modernization.”
