Pilotcenter.net News reports that the Department of Transport (DoT) in the UK is holding off on allowing Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to resume flights to UK airports due to ongoing safety concerns. Although PIA was given the green light to return to EU airports by European safety authorities in November 2024, the UK has yet to grant permission.

After receiving approval to fly to EU airports, PIA quickly resumed its services to Europe by operating its first flight in four years on January 10, 2025, from Islamabad to Paris. Despite this, the UK has concerns over safety, particularly following two incidents involving PIA aircraft in early 2025.

On January 17, 2025, a PIA Airbus A320 mistakenly landed on a closed runway at Lahore Airport with its lights off, raising questions about safety protocols. Another incident occurred on March 12, 2025, when a PIA flight lost its main gear tire upon landing in Lahore.

These events have led to an ongoing evaluation of Pakistan's aviation safety standards. The DoT is expected to review the situation in May or June 2025 after further discussions with PIA and Pakistan aviation authorities.

Although PIA is eager to resume flights to London, Manchester, and possibly Birmingham to serve the large Pakistani diaspora in the UK, the DoT is taking its time to assess safety protocols and procedural improvements. The DoT team has been granted 40 to 50 days to finalize a report, which will be submitted for consideration in the next British Air Safety Committee meeting.

The UK had suspended flights of all Pakistan-based airlines in 2020, including PIA, due to safety concerns related to pilots with falsified flying licenses. The ban by the UK was lifted at the end of 2024 following improvements in safety measures.