Oman could ban PIA in light of pilot certification concerns

DUBAI: Oman may become the first country to ban its airspace for Pakistan International Airlines after reports of dubious licences of Pakistani pilots, foreign media reported.

While expressing concern over the recent safety issue with the PIA, the Omani Civil Aviation Authority warned Pakistan that the national flag carrier could be barred from using its airspace. Omani authorities also asked Islamabad to explain what curative measures had been taken to ensure safety of flights.

Earlier, the European Union Air Safety Agency suspended PIA authorisation to operate to the EU member states for six months, while the International Air Transport Association (IATA) also shared its concern over the serious lapse in the licensing and safety oversight by the aviation regulator.

The Pakistan authorities explained to the Omani Civil Aviation Authority that credentials of all pilots, who were allowed to fly, had been scrutinised before they had been declared fit to fly, according to The Dawn report.

Seven other countries where Pakistani pilots had been employed with different airlines had asked Islamabad to verify their credentials. The aviation crisis in Pakistan has caught world attention after the Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar in the National Assembly had declared that 150 pilots of the national flag carrier had been having dubious licences.