After 5 years of ban… Pakistani Airlines resumes flights to Britain
Resumed State-owned Pakistan International Airlines Saturday launches direct flights to Flight ban in July, considering air safety standards in Pakistan "Satisfactory and compatible with international standards"
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said, during a ceremony held at Islamabad Airport, that the inaugural flight on Saturday by Pakistan International Airlines from Islamabad to Manchester in northwest England represents an important step in restoring the international credibility of the national carrier.
Airbus plane crash
Asif added. "After five long and difficult years, the resumption of flights between Islamabad and Manchester today is an achievement we have achieved through hard work and determination."
The license of Pakistani airlines to access British, European and American airspace was suspended in May 2020, a month after an Airbus plane belonging to the national airline crashed in the city of Karachi (south), killing 97 people.
The disaster, which was blamed on human error by pilots and air traffic controllers, followed, Allegations that nearly a third of PIA pilot licenses were fraudulent or questionable.
Asif said Saturday that Islamabad had since reviewed pilot training, licensing, aircraft maintenance and safety protocols.
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