Earlier this week, reports emerged that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could upgrade Pakistan’s safety rating to Category 1, allowing direct flights from Pakistani airports. Direct flights between the countries have been halted since 2017 when the FAA downgraded Pakistan to Category 2 due to concerns over Pakistan’s aviation safety record.
As per reports, the FAA will soon send its inspectors to Pakistan to assess the country’s airports and aircraft. If the country’s aviation sector passes the test, there is a good possibility of Pakistan receiving a Category 1 rating. Due to the Category 2 safety rating, Pakistani airlines have had restricted access to US airspace and were unable to establish new routes or code shares with US carriers. A Category 1 rating on the other hand will allow air carriers to launch new direct routes to the US and establish code-sharing agreements with other airlines.
This breakthrough has come about after the Head of Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms, Salman Sufi met with US officials, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of South and Central Asia Elizabeth Horst in Washington earlier this week. The possibility of opening up direct flight access was tabled during the meeting, and Mr. Sufi also discussed facilitating the export of perishable items by requesting the US to appoint an inspector at Karachi port. This will allow the pre-clearance of mangoes and other food items so they can reach their destination in the US without any delays.
This is an encouraging development and the PM’s reform team should be commended for its efforts to expand the ambit of ties with key partners such as the US. Direct flight access to the US market is pivotal for trade, Pakistan’s businesses and passengers. There is a high volume of passengers who regularly travel between the countries; currently, they only have the option of taking a flight on gulf airlines. Therefore, there is a massive market that can be tapped into through frequent direct flights between the two countries.

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