Daily Times

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) heaved a sigh of relief on Saturday after the European Union (EU) Commission removed PIA’s name from list of banned and restricted airlines.

However, the ban on Pakistani flights to operate in the EU territory will remain intact.

According to the reports, the EU Commission website for mobility and transportation has removed from its index of restricted, embargoed, or banned airlines the name of Pakistan national flag carrier.

The PIA spokesperson said on Saturday that this means PIA has marked a positive development, hoping that soon the issue with licensing of pilots will, too, be resolved and the flag carrier will be allowed to restore operation across Europe. “It is our priority to ensure best travel facilities to all tourists including the facility to fly them across Europe,” teh spokesperson added. He said the EU safety agency has acknowledged Pakistani safety management system of PIA, expressing its confidence.

Earlier on Friday, the EU Commission refused to lift the ban on Pakistani flights to operate in its territory due to a number of reservations that, it said, Pakistan has yet to address.

The aviation department of Pakistan needs to make its pilot licensing authority more transparent, said the EU Commission, noting that issuance of licences to pilots has to be via a fool-proof protocol. The EU also objected to the safety procedures of Pakistani aviation industry, noting that it needs to work on that before the EU could allow it back in the operations.