CAA seeks action against ‘dangerous’ structures

Airport official claims illegal constructions around airport violate airfield clearance policy

KARACHI: Declaring residential areas and high-rise structures around Jinnah International Airport dangerous for flights, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has sought assistance from the Sindh government and relevant authorities in taking action against such buildings.

According to sources, the airport's deputy airport manager, Syed Kashif Shah, wrote a letter to the CAA, Sindh additional chief secretary, Pakistan Air Force Base Faisal station commander, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) director-general and others to apprise them of his concerns on the matter.

He wrote that illegal constructions had been erected in a zone of 15 kilometres around the airport, with no action taken against them despite the SBCA and other relevant authorities repeatedly being apprised about the issue.

Claiming that these illegally constructed buildings violated the National Airfield Clearance Policy, he added that this had played a role in the recent Pakistan International Airlines crash in Model Colony as well.

He stated that while illegal constructions, including billboards, cellphone towers and antennae, around the airport, runways and approach areas can cause disasters, the CAA did not have the authority to take action against them. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2020.