The European Union Aviation Safety Agency or EASA has refused to immediately reverse the ban imposed on flights of Pakistan International Airlines to Europe and the United Kingdom.
After PIA’s PK8303 crashed in Karachi two years back, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had suspended the authorisation for Pakistani airlines to operate in Europe first for six months and then indefinitely.
On January 6, 2022, the International Civil Aviation Organisation removed the Significant Safety Concern that was raised against the national carrier. Immediately afterwards, PIA wrote a letter to the EU requesting the ban on airlines be removed.
In a letter dated January 20, the European agency said that while this was an important step towards a potential lifting of the suspension of PIA’s authorisation, it was important to address the overall oversight capacity of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.
“As indicated in our letter dated 31 March 2021, the emerging situation on the above-mentioned SSC indicated serious degradation of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) certification and oversight capabilities. Such information shall be taken by EASA when lifting the suspension.”
The letter stated that EU Commissions will continue to engage with PCAA and monitor further measures adopted and actions taken to address the situation in Pakistan, including the outcome of a Union on-site assessment visit to Pakistan.
EASA will also conduct an audit of PIA prior to lifting the restrictions. Here are its restrictions:
The third-country operator agrees to be audited
The outcome of the assessments indicates that there is a possibility that the audit will have a positive result.
The audit can be performed at the third country operator’s facilities without the risk of compromising the security of the Agency’s personnel.
The on-site assessment will depend on the emerging cases of coronavirus, it added.
PIA ban
The global concern against PIA was caused by the May 22, 2020, crash of PIA’s flight PK8303 in Karachi and the subsequent announcement by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan of the grounding of 262 airline pilots suspected of dodging their exams. Minister had based his decision on preliminary reports.
