‘No decision’ yet on Pakistan International Airlines’ restricted status in UK

Karachi: Britain’s Department of Transport has made “no decision” yet regarding the Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) restricted status in the United Kingdom (UK), a PIA spokesman said.

PIA was slapped with a ban by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), UK and United States (US) authorities after Pakistan opened an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses following a deadly PIA plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people in May 2020.

PIA resumed its operations in Europe in Jan. after EASA lifted its ban, however, the debt-ridden airline still remains barred from flying to the UK and the US. A delegation of the UK’s Department for Transport also visited Pakistan this year to evaluate the airline’s safety standards.

Pakistani officials have expressed hopes that PIA will resume flights to the UK in the next three months, but some local media outlets reported on Tuesday that the UK authorities had decided to keep the airline on their air safety list.

“No announcement has been made by the British Department of Transport nor has any letter been received,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan said. “No decision has been taken by the British Department of Transport yet.”

Khan said all Pakistani institutions related to aviation were in constant contact with the British authorities and carrying out their work in unison.

“Any speculation in this regard should be avoided,” he added.

Cash-strapped Pakistan is looking to privatize the debt-ridden PIA to raise funds amid an effort to reform state-owned enterprises under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program secured last year.

Late last year, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered $36 million for a 60 percent stake in the national flag carrier, a fraction of the asking price of approximately $303 million. Officials say PIA’s cumulative losses alone are close to $3 billion, with the total asset valuation of the airline standing at approximately $572 million.

Pakistan hopes new European routes and flying approval to the UK will boost PIA’s selling potential.