CAA boss tells airlines to avoid flight delays

Asks airport managers to set Singapore, Korea as benchmarks

Airport managers of Pakistan have been asked to follow airports of Singapore and Korea as benchmarks in services.

Civil Aviation Authority Director General Hassan Baig during a meeting of airport managers took serious note of flight delays.

“Flight schedules must be strictly followed and airlines should be advised to avoid flight delays as the time of passengers is equally precious like others,” he said in the meeting.

Baig stressed upon airport managers to take world’s leading airports like Singapore’s Changi Airport and South Korea’s Incheon Airport as benchmark for improvement in services and should eventually be in the list of top airports of the region.



While critically examining the prevailing service standards at major airports, the DG called for significantly improving the services by following the international guidelines of Airports Council to offer higher passenger satisfaction.

Baig further said that commercial exploitation of airport should be ensured by convincing the internationally reputed brands to open their commercial services at our airports.

He said the airport’s land should be fully utilized to generate economic and aviation activities like MROs and cargo villages.

The DG stressed upon the need of further coordination with ASF and other security agencies for security of the airports. “Security and safety standards must be ensured as per ICAO guidelines as we are vulnerable to security threats,” he added.

He also asked to further open “MAY-I-HELP-YOU” counters at major airports to offer outbound facilitation to passengers.

He further said that passengers are our valued customer and their dignity should be kept above all considerations. “They should be made aware on how to move in congested traffic leading to departure areas to avoid any inconvenience”, he added.



He also directed to minimize the process time from airport entrance till boarding in aircraft of the passengers by coordinating with ASF, Immigration, ANF and Custom authorities and advised the Airport Management to improve signage at all major airports to help passengers find their desired place without any confusion.

The meeting was attended by Deputy DG (APS), Syed Aamir Mehboob & Airport Managers of Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar, Faisalabad and Multan Airports along with Director Airport Services, Additional Director (APS) Malik Mazhar Hussain and PSO to DGCAA Aftab Gilani. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2018.