The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority could not satisfy the international civil aviation bodies on the establishment of a safety management system and licensing system, after which the European Union Aviation Safety Agency decided to maintain the ban on PIA flights indefinitely.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the European Union's civil aviation agency, wrote a letter to PIA. The letter expressed confidence in PIA's efforts to establish a safety management system for flight safety. It was informed that the current ban on flights to Europe by PIA could not be lifted as no steps have been taken by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority to improve the pilot licensing system.
The AISA letter further stated that a quality audit of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority is necessary to lift the ban and this audit can be done only when it is certain that the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority will be successful in this audit. Aviation sources said that despite repeated reminders from international organizations, the Aviation Division and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority have failed to satisfy the international civil aviation bodies on the establishment of a safety management system and licensing system.
The European Union (EU) had banned PIA flights for six months from July 1 following a statement by the Federal Minister of Aviation regarding fake Pakistani pilot licenses, but the ban remained in place indefinitely due to lack of timely action.
