CAA clears licences of 21 pilots working abroad

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has cleared the licences of 21 Pakistanis flying for different foreign airlines as the regulatory body and national carrier continue to repair the damage to their credibility inflicted by the government’s revelation last month that a large number of the country’s pilots had dubious credentials.

The 21 pilots include 18 working with Oman’s SalamAir and three with Hong Kong Airlines.

The civil aviation authorities of Oman and Hong Kong had requested the CAA to verify the credentials of the Pakistani pilots working with these airlines.

Earlier, the regulatory body had also verified the licences of 48 of the 54 Pakistani pilots working in UAE.

UAE General Civil Aviation Authority Director General Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi had requested the verification of the credentials of Pakistani pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, and flight operations officers working in the Middle Eastern country in a June 29 letter to Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority Director General Hassan Nasir Jamy.

According to the Aviation Division, it has cleared licences of 95% Pakistani pilots working with different airlines in seven countries.

The revelation made by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan last month about 262 Pakistani pilots having suspicious credentials is continuing to take its toll with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgrading Pakistan's air safety rating.

The decision, disclosed on an FAA spreadsheet dated July 15 that was posted on an agency website and confirmed by an agency official, means the US air safety agency determined Pakistan did not achieve international standards and now had a Category 2 rating. The Pakistani embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The new rating means Pakistan airlines could be subject to additional inspections at US airports and not add additional flights.

According to sources, the aviation regulator of Oman has warned that the PIA could be barred from using its airspace if the Pakistani authorities failed to satisfy it about its measures to ensure the safety of flights in the wake of the suspicious licences controversy.

The aviation authorities of Malaysia and Vietnam have already grounded holders of Pakistani pilot licences working in local airlines.

Ethiopian Airlines has also sought an explanation from Pakistan.

The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended PIA’s authorisation to operate in EU member states for six months expressing concerns over the minister’s statement.

Following the EASA’s move, the UK Civil Aviation Authority said it was withdrawing PIA’s permit to operate from three of its airports. “PIA flights from Birmingham, London Heathrow and Manchester airports are suspended with immediate effect,” a spokesperson for the authority told Reuters. The three were major flying destinations for the airline.

Later, the United States also imposed a ban on flights of the national flag carrier for six months citing dubious licences.

The PIA was operating 23 flights to UK every week – nine to London, 10 to Manchester and four to Birmingham.

The national carrier’s destinations in Europe included Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Oslo and Copenhagen.

The airline will incur a loss of Rs33 billion because of the ban. It is already facing loss of Rs12 billion because it will not be operating Hajj flights this year. The suspension of flights for Umrah passengers has also affected its revenue.

(With input from agencies)