On 29 November 2024, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) officially lifted its flight ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), allowing the country’s national carrier to fly to Europe again after more than four years. The decision followed a long process of safety reforms and independent assessments of Pakistan’s aviation regulator.
What happened
EASA banned PIA from European skies in June 2020, shortly after a PIA Airbus A320 crashed while approaching Karachi airport, killing 97 of the 99 people on board. Investigations after the crash revealed a serious problem: many PIA pilots were found to have obtained their licences fraudulently, without completing the required training. The discovery raised doubts about the safety standards of Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), and EASA decided it could no longer allow the airline to operate in Europe.
Over the following four years, the PCAA worked to improve its oversight systems. EASA sent inspectors to Pakistan in 2023 to carry out assessments and held regular meetings with Pakistani officials throughout the review process.
On 29 November 2024, EASA confirmed that the PCAA had made enough progress to meet European standards. The ban was lifted — though EASA added that PIA would remain under “intensified surveillance” until the end of 2025, meaning European safety inspectors would continue to monitor the airline closely.
Why it matters
For the large Pakistani diaspora living in Europe, the return of PIA flights was welcome news. During the four-year ban, passengers travelling between Pakistan and Europe had to use connecting flights through Middle Eastern or Central Asian hubs, which added hours and extra cost to their journeys. Many community groups had campaigned for the ban to be lifted, saying it unfairly affected ordinary travellers.
For Pakistan’s aviation industry, the EASA decision was also a confidence boost. It showed that the reforms introduced by the PCAA were recognised at an international level, and it made it easier for the country to seek similar permissions from other aviation regulators around the world.
What comes next
PIA announced plans to restore flights to several European cities, with London expected to be among the first routes back in operation. However, the airline still needed separate permission from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, as the UK operates its own aviation safety framework following its departure from the European Union. EASA’s ongoing surveillance means PIA must maintain its improved safety standards to keep its European flying rights. Any serious lapse could result in a new suspension.
Key vocabulary:
- regulator – an organisation with the authority to set and enforce rules in a particular industry; EASA is the aviation regulator for the European Union
- fraudulently – dishonestly, using deception or false information to gain something
- oversight – the process of supervising an organisation or activity to make sure that rules and standards are followed
- diaspora – a community of people who have left their home country but share a common national or cultural identity
- intensified surveillance – a period of closer-than-normal monitoring; here, EASA watching PIA’s operations more carefully than it would a standard European carrier
- lapse – a temporary failure to meet a required standard or to follow the rules
CEFR Level B1-B2 / ICAO Level 4-5