Dhaka, July 19 -- The United Kingdom has lifted a five-year ban on Pakistani airlines, including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), allowing them to apply to resume flights to and from British airports, the British High Commission in Islamabad announced on July 16.

The ban, imposed in 2020 after a deadly Karachi crash and revelations of fake pilot licenses, restricted PIA's access to UK and European airspace. The UK Air Safety Committee lifted the ban following significant improvements in Pakistan's aviation safety oversight.

"The decision was made through an independent aviation safety process," the High Commission said.

This move follows the European Union Aviation Safety Agency's earlier lifting of a four-year ban on PIA, enabli...