Passenger operations may resume within a short time, helping 1.6m Pakistanis settled in UK.
- PIA overcomes crucial UK obstacle for flights.
- Airline to conduct freighters from three cities.
- The ban came after the Karachi crash, the licence scam.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Wednesday it has been awarded Third Country Operator (TCO) certification by British authorities, clearing the way for the resumption of flights to Britain as early as next month.
The airline announced the development on its official X account, as it reaffirmed plans to resume UK flights and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, the Ministry of Defence, Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), and other related institutions.
At the same time, a letter released by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) also gave long-term approval to PIA to conduct cargo flights from Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi to the UK. The UK’s ACC3 aviation security framework designations have a validity period up to August 2030.
The letter, meant for PIA CEO AVM Mohammad Amir Hayyat, stated that EDS machines will be disallowed for screening cargo going to the UK from Islamabad and Lahore.
But it stated that British authorities also have the right to suddenly inspect PIA’s procedures with no or minimal notice.
PIA obtains UK TCO certification, targets flights’ resumption in next month
The UK and European aviation authorities prohibited PIA from flying in July 2020 after the “fake pilot licence scandal”.
In 2021, Pakistan was added to the UK’s Air Safety List for having serious safety issues. Since that time, Pakistani and British aviation authorities have been closely cooperating to iron out the shortfalls.
In July 2025, Pakistan’s removal from the Air Safety List by the UK’s Air Safety Committee paved the way for its airlines to once more apply for flight permissions. In a statement, the committee cited that the move came after sustained technical cooperation with the PCAA and a diligent assessment of safety oversight standards.
Then PIA’s spokesman stated the carrier was making final arrangements to restart UK flights “as soon as possible” and had filed its planned schedule.
PIA had earlier estimated the revenue loss due to the prohibition at about Rs40 billion ($144 million) per annum. The carrier has long regarded London, Manchester, and Birmingham as among its most lucrative routes and possesses highly prized landing slots at London’s Heathrow Airport.
Although a number of private Pakistani airlines now fly domestically and on intra-regional routes, mainly to the Middle East, PIA has traditionally been the sole carrier to fly long-haul routes to Britain and the European Union.
The decision will open up to an estimated 1.6 million people of Pakistani descent residing in the UK, as well as bolster trade relations between both nations.
Last year, the European Union (EU) removed the ban against PIA and other operators flying to various European destinations.
After removing the ban, PIA scheduled its first direct flight from Islamabad to Paris this year in January.
