PAKISTAN International Airlines (PIA) has been added to the European Union's "blacklist", after the carrier was banned from flying to the world's largest trade bloc amid safety concerns.
Just as the state-run airline joins the blacklist, the European Commission has removed both Thailand's Phuket Air and African cargo airline DAS Air Cargo from the list of banned carriers now that EU safety concerns have been addressed, reports Airwise News.
"For the first time, two carriers have been withdrawn from the blacklist after taking decisive action to remedy their failings," said Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot. "This shows that our list acts not only as essential protection against unsafe operations but also as a strong and effective incentive for companies which deviate from international safety norms to address their shortcomings."
Under the ban, only PIA's seven Boeing 777s are permitted to fly to Europe, while the 42 remaining aircraft in the fleet have been turned away owing to safety fears relating to the poor maintenance of jetliners and aging planes. These concerns specifically involve the carrier's Boeing 747s and Airbus A310s.
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