Pakistan International Airlines accounts frozen amid safety review by EU

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) froze the accounts of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Wednesday, coinciding with the presence of a team from the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in Pakistan. Additionally, Pakistan State Oil issued a threat to stop oil supply to the airline unless outstanding dues were settled by Thursday. Expressing disappointment, a PIA spokesperson informed Dawn that the FBR’s decision to freeze accounts occurred during the visit of an EASA delegation, currently in the country to assess flight safety issues. The airline management, in communication with the FBR, disclosed that 28 PIA accounts had been frozen, expressing hope for a prompt resolution. In 2020, EASA prohibited PIA from operating flights to Europe following a plane crash in Karachi on May 22, 2020. This action was taken in response to former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan’s statement in parliament, revealing concerns about the qualifications of 40% of Pakistani pilots. On Wednesday, a four-member EASA delegation conducted inspections of PIA’s operations, apron, engineering area, and flight safety tools in Karachi. The team had previously reviewed measures implemented by the Civil Aviation Authority regarding pilot licenses and airworthiness on Tuesday.