ISLAMABAD — Britain has lifted a years-long ban on Pakistani airlines following improvements in the country’s aviation safety standards, the British diplomatic mission in Islamabad said Wednesday.
The U.K.’s Air Safety Committee imposed the ban after Pakistan’s aviation minister in June 2020 disclosed that nearly one-third of the country’s pilots had cheated on their licensing exams. The claim came after a Pakistan International Airlines crash killed 97 people on May 24, 2020, in the southern city of Karachi.
Wednesday’s announcement follows a broader international recognition of Pakistan’s efforts to improve air safety. Earlier this year, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency also lifted its five-year-long ban, allowing the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines to resume direct flights to Europe.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said that after “extensive engagement” between the U.K.’s Air Safety Committee and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, restrictions on Pakistani airlines have now been lifted.