Islamabad, July 10: In yet another blow for Pakistani pilots, the US has now revoked the permission granted to the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate a number of special direct flights to America. The decision comes amid the fallout from the revelation of Pakistani pilots' alleged dubious licences. Also Read: Covid-19 Cases In India Near 8 Lakh Grim Milestone With Record Spike Of Over 26K Fresh Cases In Last 24 Hours

The authorisation was revoked "due to recent events identified by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority that are of serious concern to aviation safety, specifically matters pertaining to the proper certification of certain Pakistani pilots", the Pakistan daily Dawn quoted an email sent to PIA officials by a US-based law firm.

It was the first time that Pakistan's national flag carrier operated direct flights to the US. "It is a setback for us," PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said, as per the report in news agency IANS.

The airline had been notified of the permission being withdrawn via email.

The US Department of Transportation had in April granted PIA permission to operate 12 direct flights to the US to repatriate people stranded by the coronavirus pandemic.

Till now, the airline had carried operations of six of the flights to different US cities.

"However we are keeping very close coordination with the US Department of Transportation and we sincerely hope that with the reformative process already underway, they will review their decision to revoke the permissions."

The disclosure about dubious licences was brought to notice by Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan in Parliament. He said 150 PIA pilots had 'dubious' licences following which the European Union and UK aviation authorities had barred the airline from flying to their airports for at least six months.

Soon after the announcement, several countries including Vietnam and Pakistan’s allies in the middle-east have gone ahead and grounded Pakistani pilots working for their airlines and taking a review of their licences. Several other countries, meanwhile, have sought verification of credentials of Pakistani pilots and engineers working there.

The revocation comes as the federal government is trying to assuage concerns about Pakistani pilots, after it has initiated an inquiry into the issuance of 'illegal' licences to 236 pilots between 2012 and 2018 .