PIA braces for EASA 'remote' audit
PHOTO: FILE
The management of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has formed teams at the Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad stations for the upcoming audit by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
PIA General Manager Jahangir Baloch will lead the teams as the EASA is expected to conduct a remote safety audit of the national carrier on March 7.
If that is cleared, an EASA team would visit Pakistan for an on-site audit.
The clearance of the on-site audit would bring an end to the ban on PIA flights to European countries.
It has also come to the fore that in the past, the funds of the PIA stations that were closed abroad including those in Barcelona, New York, and Bangladesh could not be transferred to Pakistan.
The revelation has been made in the 2021-22 report of the auditor general of Pakistan.
According to the report, the immediate transfer of funds of Rs1.37 billion was required by the national carrier's management under the rules.
The massive amount related to the PIA's past and recent closures of stations in Barcelona, New York, Kuwait, Thailand, Singapore and Bangladesh.
The report stated that the lack of transfer of funds for such a long period reflected the carelessness of the PIA administration and added to the financial woes of the national carrier.
In January 2022, the PIA administration conveyed its position on the matter during a discussion in a departmental accounts committee meeting.
EASA ban
In July 2020, the EASA had suspended the authorisation for the PIA to operate in European Union member countries for six months in July 2020.
The EASA ban was soon followed by similar action by the UK and US aviation authorities.
Later, the EASA had extended travel restrictions imposed on the national carrier for an indefinite period.
Read more: UK aviation experts conclude audit of CAA, PIA
The PIA landed in hot water in the wake of its flight PK-8303 crashing in Karachi on May 22, 2020, and the subsequent announcement by then aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan of the grounding of 262 airline pilots suspected of dodging their exams.
In January last year, the EASA refused to lift the ban imposed on the PIA to travel to European countries and the UK on the basis of the audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
On January 5, 2022, the ICAO issued a statement confirming that the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) and Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) audit conducted by its team from November 29 to December 10, 2021 had found that Pakistan addressed the Significant Safety Concern (SSC).
Following the findings of the audit, the PIA CEO wrote a letter to the EASA to lift the ban.
In his two-page response sent on January 20 last year, EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky wrote that while the development was an important step towards potential lifting of suspension of PIA’s authorisation, it was important to address the overall oversight capacity of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA).
“As indicated in our letter dated 31 March 2021, the emerging situation on the above-mentioned SSC indicated serious degradation of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority certification and oversight capabilities. Such information shall be taken [into account] by EASA when lifting the suspension,” the letter read.
It added that the EU Commission would continue to engage with the PCAA and monitor further measures adopted and actions taken to address the situation in Pakistan, including the outcome of an on-site assessment visit to the country.
The EASA would conduct its own audit of the PIA prior to lifting of the restrictions in accordance with Article 235(d) of the TCO Regulation (EU) No 452/2014.
In August last year, a Senate panel was informed that the international aviation safety bodies had fixed the date for the audit of the national carrier.
The director general of the PCAA told the meeting that after an online audit in October 2022 by the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA), a physical one would also take place by the EASA.