Senate body mulls changes to aviation rules

The Senate's sub-committee on aviation on Wednesday discussed the proposed amendments in the Civil Aviation Rules-1994 and the National Aviation Policy-2019 aimed at ensuring improved air travel services in the country.

The meeting, chaired by Saleem Mandviwalla, took up the proposed amendments in a tabulated form to compare between the existing and the proposed policies coupled with reasons for the certain changes.

Representatives of the Aviation Division briefed the committee on the proposed amendments in the existing "Air Traffic Rights and Air Service Agreements to restrain the foreign barriers to run indirect flights," according to the Senate Secretariat news release.

They were of the view that 53 per cent of the market was being neglected on account of indirect flights due to non-clearance from the respective countries, hoping that the European Commission would announce the clearance in its next meeting.

Member National Assembly Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who attended the meeting as a special invitee, was of the view that the National Aviation Policy did not support the Regular Public Transport (RPT), adding "if there are no RPT's operators, there is no Civil Aviation.  "Every office requires an RPT, a successful RPT is a successful Aviation."

The committee decided to include a separate chapter of the Regular Public Transport operators, considering it crucial for the National Aviation Policy.

It also recommended that every province should have a General Aviation Airport to run the general aircraft in a smooth and operative manner.

It observed that the drone policies, in view of the emerging technologies and use of drones in every sector especially for delivery operations, should be well-drafted under the civil aviation authority, and suggested introducing more prudent policies to promote the aviation engineering sector.

The committee also proposed an amendment in the licence requirement by extending it on the basis of a four-year degree programme rather than a diploma after matriculation or intermediate.

Among others, the meeting was attended by Senators Afnan Ullah Khan and Aon Abbas, Member National Assembly Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as special invitee and representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority and its attached departments.