UK restrictions on Pakistan International Airlines have been lifted after five years, according to the UK’s high commissioner to Pakistan.

The airline was banned from operating its own services to the UK in mid-2020, following a decision by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to suspend PIA’s third-country operator approval.

This restriction had been imposed after the fatal accident in Karachi involving a PIA Airbus A320 as well as a revelation that a number of pilot licences issued by the Pakistani regulator had been fraudulently obtained.

EASA eventually ended the suspension in November last year, having determined that Pakistani safety oversight of its air transport system had significantly improved.

The UK high commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, stated on 16 July that the UK air safety committee has “lifted its restrictions on Pakistani carriers” following a “sustained, independent and technically-driven process”.

“It will take time for flights to resume, but this is an important step, and a testament to [PIA’s] air safety improvements,” she adds.

FlightGlobal sought confirmation of the decision from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which deferred to the UK Department for Transport. The department has not yet responded.

PIA has indicated, however, that it is planning to restore flights to Manchester in August this year.