ISLAMABAD– State-run Pakistan International Airlines resumed flights to the United Kingdom on Saturday for the first time in five years following the lifting of a ban imposed over a fake pilot license scandal.

The airline faced a ban from both the United Kingdom and the European Union in June 2020 after a deadly crash in Karachi that killed nearly 100 people and subsequent revelations of pilots holding fake licenses.

The European ban was lifted in November 2024 following extensive safety audits, paving the way for PIA to reinstate the suspended routes in January this year.

The first flight of the Boeing 777 from Islamabad to Manchester on Saturday marked the return of PIA after months of inspections and reforms that restored Britain’s confidence in Pakistan’s aviation system.

“The flight to Manchester is a notable start, but we are firmly determined to start flights to London and Birmingham next,” Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said at a ceremony at Islamabad International Airport.

Asif said in a televised speech that flights were essential for the more than 1.4 million Pakistanis in Britain and Europe, noting that the remittances they sent were the backbone of Pakistan’s economy.

“Providing them with direct flights is both a moral and national duty,” he said. “These services will save them time, offer reasonable fares and provide direct air links to their home country.”

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Mohammad Faisal, hailed the relaunch as an important step forward for economic and cultural ties between the two nations.

“This milestone will bring significant economic benefits: generating substantial revenue, boosting trade and tourism and expanding the movement of people and goods,” he said at a recent event in London.