Civil Aviation Authority vying to get EU ban on Pakistan lifted

KARACHI: The head of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Director General Khaqan Murtaza, is hopeful that the European Union (EU) will soon revoke its ban on flights from Pakistan.

According to local media reports, Murtaza is leading a delegation set to participate in a crucial meeting of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) scheduled in May.

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The primary agenda of the meeting will be to evaluate the resumption of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights within Europe.

During this meeting, the authority will carefully examine a comprehensive report detailing the audit findings across various departments of the CAA, aligning them with EASA’s stringent safety standards.

In a recent statement, Director General Murtaza expressed confidence that EASA might lift the existing restrictions on Pakistan following the deliberations of the safety review board meeting. Should this optimistic scenario unfold, PIA will finally be able to recommence its flights to Europe and the United Kingdom after a prolonged suspension.

The background to this situation lies in the aftermath of a tragic PIA plane crash in Karachi back in May 2020, which led to EASA imposing a ban on the national carrier’s flight operations.

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In November 2023, a team from EASA visited Pakistan to conduct a thorough assessment of various facets of both the CAA and PIA, encompassing licensing, flight safety, standards, and airworthiness.

The ban stemmed from the national carrier’s failure to comply with proposed corrective action plans (CAPs) outlined by EASA. Despite implementing five out of six proposed action plans, PIA fell short in addressing a crucial element concerning the Safety Management System, leading to the suspension of its Third Country Operator (TCO) Authorisation by EASA.

Meanwhile, here at home, the CAA has completed preparations to deal with any untoward situation stemming from unpredictable and harsh weather conditions.

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Furthermore, keeping the rising tensions in the Middle East, Pakistan’s CAA has also implemented stricter monitoring procedures for incoming flights, and has issued new instructions to Pakistan Air Traffic Control (ATC).

These directives mandate close scrutiny of all flights entering Pakistani airspace, especially from Afghanistan and Iran, as well as from within Pakistan’s western airspace.