Hopes for the restoration of direct flights from Pakistan to the United States have brightened as a team from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arrived in Karachi to conduct a long-awaited audit of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The five-member delegation, which landed in Karachi from Dubai on a foreign carrier, will review the CAA’s licensing, flight standards, airworthiness, and state safety departments.
The audit will continue until September 12, after which the US team will depart.
Background of restrictions
Direct flights from Pakistan to the US were suspended in the wake of the suspected pilots’ license scandal, which surfaced in 2020.
Following the revelations, Pakistani airlines faced bans not only in the United States but also in the UK and Europe, while the FAA downgraded Pakistan’s aviation safety rating.
Officials say a successful audit would pave the way for resuming direct flights to the US and would also help improve Pakistan’s international aviation rating.
