The European Air Safety Agency (EASA) has rejected Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) appeal for the resumption of flights. Instead, the agency is considering extending the ban until December 31, 2020.
EASA, however, assured the national airline that the extension in the ban will be reversed if the country’s civil aviation authority takes concrete measures for flight safety.
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The European flight safety authority had banned all PIA flights from entering the European airspace for six-month, starting from July 1. The United Kingdom and the USA followed suit and imposed similar bans on the national flag carrier over flight safety concerns.
These sanctions came after the inquiry report of PIA flight 8303 was released. The report blamed the Captain’s error for the fatal accident that killed 97 people on board.
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Following the inquiry report, the Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar said on the floor of the House that 260 of 860 Pakistani pilots, 141 of which were employed by PIA, never sat for the exams and that their licenses were dubious.