In 2020, a Pakistan International Airlines flight crashed in the city of Karachi, killing 97 people. Upon investigation, it was determined that the crash was caused by human error, leading the European Aviation Safety Agency to ban PIA flights to and from Europe. A further investigation of PIA pilots that revealed that around one third of PIA pilots had cheated on their exams by having qualified pilots take their exams instead of taking them themselves. PIA discovered and fired over 150 underqualified pilots and their licenses were revoked. Now, four years after the original incident, the EASA has decided that Pakistan has made sufficient improvements to their aviation safety for the EASA to lift the ban. The first flight will be from Islamabad to Paris in January.
Historically Europe has had interest in Pakistan as a trade partner, importing gems, minerals, and oil from the country. The EU is Pakistan’s main export destination, and this trade supports Pakistan’s economy. Because it sees Pakistan as a valuable trade partner as well, the EU has aided Pakistan’s development through trade, humanitarian support, and economic incentives. The EASA made the decision to ban PIA flights to the EU not only to keep European citizens safe, but also as a way of using soft power to aid Pakistan’s development—$150 million of lost revenue per year gave Pakistan a great incentive to develop and prioritize safety. This incentive was a success, as Pakistan made the improvements needed to regain that revenue.
The positive relations between the EU and Pakistan are beneficial to both stakeholders but more so to Pakistan because the EU is its main export destination. To retain positive relations in this scenario, Pakistan should continue to monitor aviation safety and adhere to any other standards that come up. It is likely that Pakistan will continue to follow EU guidelines and incentives because the trade relationship it has with the EU is crucial to its economic stability. The EU will likely continue to aid development in Pakistan because of its interests in trade with the country.
The way this issue was resolved represents the effect of taking a liberalist approach to international relations. In response to a safety issue, the EU exhibited soft power through diplomacy and economic incentive to fix the issue. Pakistan then fixed the issue without pushback. Diplomacy and economic interdependence allowed this issue to be solved peacefully and easily for the mutual benefit of both parties. This shows reciprocity, which is a key component of liberal theory.