The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has decided to extend the ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for another three months. The international media reported this information on Monday. The EASA said the ban would be lifted only after a safety audit from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Earlier, EASA imposed a six-month ban on PIA flights to European Union (EU) member countries in July this year due to security risks.
Last week, Pakistan's Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said steps had been taken to address EASA's concerns about the licensing process for commercial pilots and that the ban on PIA flights to European countries would be lifted soon.
However, a senior official of Pakistan's state-owned PIA said that after making some changes, the airline had asked for temporary permission to operate the flight but it was not granted. The EASA will not be able to grant such permission unless it receives a safety audit from the CAA.
