Pilot licensing issue: Pakistani airlines likely to face ban from flying to 188 countries

(Karachi) In a latest development, airlines operating in Pakistan are likely to face a ban in 188 countries for failing to meet the international standards of pilot licensing recommended by a UN specialized agency - the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), local media reported.

In its 12th meeting, the ICAO’s 179th session was held which devised a mechanism to address Significant Safety Concerns (SSCs) to its member states. It identified Pakistan and seven other member states as being non-compliant with the SSCs.

The ICAO also issued a warning to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) for failing to address the safety concerns and meeting requirements.

A letter issued by ICAO on November 3 stated that the PCAA has failed to comply with the global standards pertaining to personnel licensing and that its licensing processing officials lack professional training. Consequently, the country’s aircraft and pilots may be banned from entering 188 countries, it stated.

In June, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had banned the national flag carrier from flying to European locations over safety concerns. The EASA took the initiative days after PIA grounded several pilots over "dubious qualifications licenses" and in view of the PIA Airbus crash incident on May 22.

On June 24, Aviation Minister Chaudhry Sarwar told the parliament that 262 out of 860 pilot licences issued by the Civil Aviation Authority were fraudulent. More than half were held by pilots employed at PIA, though the airline said that 36 of the pilots no longer worked for the airline.

The said pilots were banned from flying while several of them were dismissed from their service after detailed inquiry. Sarwar had claimed that all the pilots possessing fake licences were recruited prior to 2018 during the tenure of PML-N and PPP.