Pakistan International Airlines’ UK Flight Resumption: A Lesson in Regulatory Lapses and National Security Risks

After a five-year suspension triggered by one of the most alarming aviation scandals in recent memory, state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has resumed flights to the United Kingdom. While some celebrate this as a restoration of vital links between Britain and over 1.4 million British-Pakistanis, the shadows cast by systemic regulatory failures cannot be ignored.How Did a Fake Pilot License Scandal Ground an Entire Airline?In June 2020, both the UK and European Union imposed bans on PIA after revelations that pilots flying commercial aircraft possessed fraudulent licenses—a scandal that followed a tragic Karachi crash claiming nearly 100 lives. This was...