ISLAMABAD: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has decided to perform its own assessment before allowing Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to resume its flight operations which were suspended in July 2020, reported the local media on Sunday.
All PIA flights were banned in Europe after a tragic plane crash in Karachi which was followed by federal aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan’s statement that 40 percent of pilots in the country had fake or dubious licenses.
Hundreds of Pakistani pilots working with international organizations were immediately grounded and the country’s airlines lost several lucrative destinations in the wake of that claim.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said earlier this month it had thoroughly reviewed actions taken by the Pakistan authorities to address the international safety concerns and was satisfied that the country had successfully resolved the issue.
However, the European aviation agency maintained it would conduct its own evaluation before lifting the ban on PIA flights.
“EASA shall conduct an audit of the operator prior to lifting the suspension,” Dawn quoted the agency's letter to PIA chief executive officer Arshad Malik. “Since deficiencies in state oversight were a contributor to the suspension decision, such [an] audit will have to include an assessment to verify if these deficiencies have been properly addressed and corrected.”
Pakistan’s aviation minister had said earlier this month that his country would contact relevant international organizations to share ICAO’s assessment. He also expressed hope that PIA would be able to resume its flights to European destinations in February or March.
EASA said it found it encouraging that "ICAO was able to remove the significant safety concerns… raised against Pakistan personnel licensing following the on-site Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program activities, performed in Pakistan from Nov 29 to Dec 10, 2021.”
However, it added that since the safety concerns indicated “serious degradation of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s (PCAA) certification and oversight capabilities,” EASA would have to obtain information on the matter when lifting the suspension.
Dawn said PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez maintained the airlines was in contact with EASA, adding it was “fully prepared” for the audit.