Urooj Niazi 
pakistan airlines have been cleared to apply for uk flights
Pakistan Cleared to Resume Flights to the UK After Removal from Safety List
In what is a huge relief for travelers, the United Kingdom has removed Pakistan, from its Air Safety List. This means that Pakistani airlines are now allowed to apply for flight operations to the UK, and could soon reopen direct flights between both countries. In order to commence flights, each airline has to go through a separate approval process and obtain permits which must be obtained from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Therefore, while this is good news, flights are likely to take a while to resume.
Years of Work behind Decision
The decision followed several years of technical cooperation between the UK’s Air Safety Committee and Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA). Pakistan was added to the Safety List in 2021, due to issues affecting safety. Following this, Pakistan and the UK worked closely together to enhance systems to meet international standards.British officials confirmed, Pakistan has made credible progress.
“I’m grateful to the aviation professionals who made this possible,” said Jane Marriott, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan.
A huge win for the Pakistani community in the United Kingdom
This is really significant for the 1.6 Million plus individuals of Pakistani origin residing in the UK, as well as hundreds of British people who have ties with Pakistan and who frequently travel there. It should also help to strengthen trade between the two countries. The UK is Pakistan’s 3rd largest trading partner with trade worth 4.7 billion pound .
Hopefully, once all of the clearances are in place, it will soon be possible to book direct flights with Pakistani airlines, which is something that travelers from Pakistan have been missing for a long while now.
