Flights to Gilgit remain on hold

Air traffic controller was taken into custody on directives of deputy commissioner

GILGIT: Flight operations to Gilgit remained suspended on Sunday following a dispute between local administration and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in Gilgit. The decision to suspend flights temporarily came a day after the lone air traffic controller Yasir Iqbal in Gilgit was detained by police on directives from the deputy commissioner (DC).

“The DC ordered arrest of Iqbal after pilot Marium Gill complained that some tall trees were hindering plane’s takeoff and landing,” an insider said on Sunday, adding that Iqbal was at his office while the DC and home secretary were at the airport when the ATR plane landed.

The pilot informed the DC of landing issues instead of communicating the issue to CAA first.  The DC had a discussion with the traffic controller who informed him that most of the trees hindering plane landing and takeoff had already been chopped.

“There are still five or six trees to be chopped off, to be done soon,” Iqbal was quoted as saying.

However, Iqbal was released a few hours later. Air Traffic Controller Guild President Javed Hanif reportedly said

that Iqbal was ‘mistreated’ during his detention owing to which he could not perform duty and hence called for suspension in flight operations.

Sources said that during the detention Iqbal was pressurized to sign a deed to ensure payment of outstanding compensation of Rs0.3million to the affected people. However, he refused to sign as he was not the authority.

“Due to nonpayment of the compensation, people would lodge various complaints against CAA,” said an official from administration. “In addition pilots would accommodate only a dozen passengers on each side flight to avoid a fatal incident as taking off/landing was quite risky.” The loss to national exchequer aside, the offloaded passengers would then repeatedly create nuisance for the administration.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2018.