ISLAMABAD: In a major development, the United Kingdom has removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, allowing national airline and other carriers to once again apply for permission to operate direct flights to the UK.

The decision, announced on Wednesday by the UK’s Air Safety Committee, follows sustained technical cooperation with Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and a thorough review of aviation safety standards.

The ban was enforced in July 2020 by the UK and European aviation authorities following the fake pilot licence scandal.

In 2020, during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) government, then-aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan claimed that pilots were operating planes with fake licences. This was his response after PIA's Airbus A-320s crashed in Karachi, killing nearly 100 people.

Although the removal from the list marks a significant milestone, Pakistani carriers will still need to secure individual operating permits from the UK Civil Aviation Authority before flights can resume.

The move is expected to ease travel for the estimated 1.6 million people of Pakistani origin living in the UK, as well as support trade ties between the two countries, read a statement released by the British High Commission.

Bilateral trade between both countries currently stands at £4.7 billion, with the UK ranked as Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, it said.

Pakistan was first added to the UK’s Air Safety List in 2021 over serious safety concerns. Since then, officials on both sides have worked together to address the shortcomings, the statement added.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott welcomed the removal of the ban on Pakistani airlines.

“I’m grateful to aviation experts in the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to meet international safety standards.

“While flights won’t resume overnight, I look forward to flying with a Pakistani airline once services restart,” she added.

The development came months after the European Union (EU) lifted the ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other operators from flying to different European destinations.

Following the removal of the ban, PIA operated its first direct flight from Islamabad to Paris this year in January.