EU to lift ban on PIA, Vision Air flights next month

Karachi: The European Air Safety Committee is set to approve the renewal of PIA and Vision Air flights’ Third Country Operators’ Permits next month.

In a recent development, the European Commission and European Aviation Safety Agency (IASA) forwarded the decision – related to the flight ban of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in Europe – to the European Air Safety Committee.

The meeting of the European Air Safety Committee is scheduled to be held between May 14 and 16 in Brussels.

The European Commission spokesperson, Deborah Almerge, emphasized that there are no restrictions on other Pakistani airlines in European countries.

She further clarified that the ban on PIA and Air Vision was not imposed due to their addition in the European Air Safety List, but rather due to safety concerns related to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.

The European Commission stated that the flight safety measures taken by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority are being examined by the Review Board this month.

It is pertinent to mention here that after the pilots’ license scandal, the European Aviation Agency had imposed a ban on all Pakistani airlines in July 2020.