EASA returns after physical audit, decision to lift ban on Pakistani airlines in May 2024

ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (M. Awais): European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has returned after physical audit and decision regarding lifting ban on Pakistani Airlines in Europe will be taken in May next year. Former PDM government delayed legislation for dividing Civil Aviation in two sections which resulted in delay of six of lifting ban on Pakistani airlines in Europe.

According to this news agency, EASA has returned after conducting physical audit and it will further take six months to lift the ban. If PDM would have completed the legislation in time, the ban would have lifted till now.

Before leaving in August 2023, the PDM government legislated to divide Civil Aviation Authority in two sections after EASA agreed to visit Pakistan for physical audit. Earlier, EASA had told Pakistani authorities that it would not conduct the physical audit till CAA was divided in two sections as due to political instability the bill presented in National Assembly during PTI government lapsed. To end ban on Pakistani airlines, the ordinance was issued.

The CAA soon after the formation of PDM government had told then Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique that legislation to divide the authority was the only way to lift ban on Pakistani airlines in Europe.

The PDM in last week of its tenure passed the bill after which EASA agreed to visit Pakistan in November for physical audit.

The documents stated that besides CAA, the EASA also conducted audit of PIA, Fly Jinnah and Air Blue.

The EASA will present report of physical audit in European Union Air Safety Committee in May 2024 after which the decision whether ban on Pakistan would be lifted on not will be taken.

Sources informed that the Pakistani authorities had to face sever embarrassment during audit of EASA as Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) closed all bank accounts of Pakistan International Airline and EASA raised the question that how the airline will continue its operations when its all bank accounts within the country were closed.