On June 30, 2020, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspended Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) air operations permit for European countries for six months. The ban came in the aftermath of the Aviation Minister’s speech in the Parliament regarding results of an investigations which revealed that more than 260 out of 860 pilot licenses issued by the Pakistani authorities are fraudulent. However, Baaghi TV has reliably learnt that the EASA, on December 2, 2020, issued a letter to the Pakistan International Airlines stating that the documents submitted by the airline has been reviewed and found ‘satisfactory and sufficient’ as a first important step towards the lifting of ban on the airline. Read also: PIA invites bids for 8 narrowbody aircraft The letter expressed confidence in the PIA’s initiatives on safety management system for flight safety, but said that the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was not working to improve the pilot licensing system. Therefore, the current ban on PIA flights to Europe cannot be lifted. Till today, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as a regulatory body did not conduct a single meeting with all stake holders of airlines to give a feedback on this issue of EASA ban. … Continue reading EASA ready to lift the ban on PIA?