British aviation authorities have lifted restrictions on Pakistani carriers to operate in the UK after about five years as the South Asian nation has complied with their safety standards.

Britain has lifted a years-long ban on Pakistani airlines following improvements in the country’s aviation safety standards, the British diplomatic mission in Islamabad said Wednesday. The U.K.’s Air Safety Committee imposed the ban after Pakistan’s aviation minister in June 2020 disclosed that nearly one-third of the country’s pilots had cheated on their licensing exams.

Britain has lifted a five-year ban on Pakistani airlines, allowing them to apply to resume UK flights just as Islamabad steps up efforts to privatise its national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines .