Pakistani airlines are likely to soon start operating flights to the US, UK and Europe after the Civil Aviation Authority cleared a safety audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization, it emerged Wednesday.
The ICAO, a United Nations aviation body, had advised Pakistan in September 2020 to carry out prompt corrective action and stop issuing any new pilot licences after it learnt that bogus licenses may have been issued to unscrupulous elements.
The revelation had come following the crash of a Pakistan International Airlines aircraft in May last year, which resulted in the deaths of 97 passengers and crew.
Pakistani pilots had faced sanctions after the aviation minister said in the National Assembly that a third of them had dubious or fake licences.
In the wake of the scandal, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency had taken serious notice and discontinued TCO (Third Country Operator) Authorisation for Pakistani carriers. The USA had also downgraded Pakistan to category 2, which means no Pakistan origin aircraft was allowed to enter US territory.
In its January 4 letter to DG CAA Khaqan Murtaza, ICAO’s Deputy Director Denis Guindon wrote that the committee conducted the audit in December 2021 and “determined that the actions taken by Pakistan had successfully resolved SSC (Significant Safety Concern).”
During the audit, the committee reviewed the corrective actions taken and related evidence presented by Pakistan to address the SSC regarding the licensing system of the State, specifically in relation to the examinations conducted by the CAA and by delegated or designated training organizations prior to the issuance of licences and ratings.“
In accordance with the USOAP SSC process, […] the ICAO SSC Validation Committee reviewed the actions and relevant evidence validated in Pakistan.
