ISLAMABAD, 5 December 2020, (TON): In response of letter sent by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) on Thursday told the flag carrier that since the CAA had not taken any steps to address the licensing system, the ban will remain in effect, The Express Tribune reported. It said the CAA needed to under a safety audit, adding that the ban can only be lifted if the Pakistani aviation regulatory body cleared the audit. Following the EASA's move, the UK Civil Aviation Authority also withdrew PIA's permit to operate from the Birmingham, London and Manchester airports.

In June this year, the EASA had suspended PIA flights operations in Europe for six months in the wake of the grounding of 262 Pakistani pilots whose licenses were termed "dubious" by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan. Pakistani authorities acknowledged that nearly a third of Pakistani pilots, 260 out of 860, had cheated on their pilot’s exams.

Abdullah Hafeez, a spokesman for Pakistan International Airlines, however, said  that the EU’s Aviation Safety Agency informed them about its decision to extend the ban after analyzing a report about additional steps taken by PIA to enhance safety measures.  The EU agency declined comment on the statement issued by Hafeez that agency praised PIA for taking additional safety steps but have retain the ban remain in effect until Pakistan resolves an issue related to issuing pilot licenses.