The United Kingdom has removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List, clearing the way for Pakistani airlines to apply for flight operations to the country, UK’s Air Safety Committee announced on Wednesday.
Though Pakistani carriers can now apply to operate flights to the UK, each airline will still need to secure the necessary permits from the UK Civil Aviation Authority through a separate application process.
The move follows years of technical collaboration between the UK’s Air Safety Committee and Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), with officials confirming that sufficient improvements have been made since Pakistan was first listed in 2021 due to safety concerns.
The decision is expected to ease travel for over 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage living in the UK and thousands of British nationals in Pakistan. It may also support increased bilateral trade, which currently stands at £4.7 billion, making the UK Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner.
The UK’s Air Safety Committee made the decision through an independent, technically-driven safety review process, which found that Pakistan had made the required safety upgrades.
“I’m grateful to aviation experts in the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to drive improvements to meet international safety standards. While it will take time for flights to resume, once the logistics are in place, I look forward to using a Pakistani carrier when visiting family and friends,” said British High Commissioner Jane Marriott.
