The United Kingdom has officially removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, enabling Pakistani airlines to apply for operating permits to resume direct flights.
On July 16, 2025, the UK’s Air Safety Committee announced a significant decision following extensive technical cooperation with Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and a thorough review of aviation safety standards. This decision addresses the ban initially imposed in July 2020 due to a scandal involving fake pilot licenses, which affected airlines such as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Although flights will not resume immediately, airlines must now obtain individual approvals from the UK Civil Aviation Authority. This development aims to benefit the UK’s 1.6 million Pakistani-origin residents and strengthen bilateral trade, which currently stands at £4.7 billion.
Good News. Pakistan removed from UK’s Air Safety List. Now all Pakistani airlines can fly to UK. Thanks for the efforts made by Pakistani and British officials to resolve the issue.
— Hamid Mir حامد میر (@HamidMirPAK) July 16, 2025The restrictions started in 2020 after Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan disclosed that some pilots possessed fake licenses during a PTI government inquiry into a fatal Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crash in Karachi. However, collaborative efforts between UK and Pakistani experts worked to address these issues, ultimately leading to the removal of the restrictions.
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This follows the European Union lifting its ban in January 2025, allowing PIA’s first direct flight to Paris.
The decision facilitates travel for the Pakistani diaspora in the UK, minimising their reliance on indirect routes. It also strengthens economic ties with the UK, which is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott expressed her appreciation for the collaboration: “I’m grateful to the aviation experts in both the UK and Pakistan for their joint efforts to meet international safety standards. While flights won’t resume immediately, I look forward to flying with a Pakistani airline once services are restarted.”
