Britain on Wednesday lifted a five-year ban on Pakistani airlines, allowing carriers to apply to resume flights to the UK after significant improvements in aviation safety standards.

The ban was imposed in 2020, just days after a revelation that nearly one-third of the country's pilots had obtained their licenses fraudulently.

Why is this happening now?

The announcement comes after wider recognition of Pakistan's efforts to improve air safety.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency lifted its five-year-long ban earlier this year, allowing the resumption of direct flights to Europe.

The ban was imposed after then-Pakistani Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan made the revelation about fake documentation.

The scandal emerged after a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crash that killed 97 people in May 2020 when an aircraft crashed into a street in the city of Karachi, which is southwestern Sindh province's capital and the country's economic hub.

The British High Commission in Islamabad said the decision followed "extensive engagement" between the UK's Air Safety Committee and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. It said decisions on de-listing states and air carriers were made "through an independent aviation safety process."

"I'm grateful to aviation experts in both the UK and Pakistan for their collaborative work to meet international safety standards," said British High Commissioner Jane Marriott.

"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."

The lifting of the ban applies to Pakistan's airlines in general, but while several private carriers mainly serve domestic and regional routes — especially to the Middle East — PIA has historically been the only airline flying long-haul to Britain and the European Union.

What has the ban meant for PIA?

PIA, which once saw UK routes — including London, Manchester, and Birmingham — as among its most profitable, estimates the suspension cost it around 40 billion rupees ($144 million) in annual revenue.

The carrier said it was now finalizing plans to resume flights "in the shortest possible time," beginning with three weekly Islamabad–Manchester flights, pending schedule approval.

The announcement also comes as Pakistan moves ahead with plans to privatise its struggling national carrier, which employs 7,000 people and has long been accused of being bloated and poorly run.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said restoring UK and European routes would boost the airline's value ahead of privatization and signalled hopes to also revive PIA flights to New York.

PIA was formed in 1955 when the government nationalised a struggling private airline, and went on to enjoy rapid growth until the 1990s.

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah