Poor conditions of PIA planes irk NA panel

CAA DG regrets being unable to beat corruption in his dept

ISLAMABAD:

The members of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Aviation on Thursday expressed their displeasure over the conditions of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) planes.

During a meeting of the committee presided over by its chairman Syed Mobeen Ahmed, the members of the body maintained that the national carrier’s planes were in a pathetic condition.

Pointing out that even the seats of the PIA aircrafts were dirty and smelly, they wondered why would the people choose to travel through such an airline.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) director general also expressed his helplessness, pointing out that the biggest problem faced by his department was corruption.

He continued that in 2.5 years, no action could be taken against a single corrupt CAA employee.

He regretted that the employees brought stay orders from the courts.

The CAA DG highlighted the problem of high-rise buildings near Karachi airport.

He added that if there was a major plane accident in Karachi because of these buildings, how would the country be able to justify it before the world.

“This [high-rise buildings] is such a big mafia, I was sued just yesterday,” he said.

Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) MNA Saira Bano, a committee member, maintained that when there were builders in parliament, there was bound to be an FIR against the CAA DG.

Speaking on the death of a national carrier’s air hostess in an accident during surface travelling, she said sending cabin crew in uniform at night on a long journey was a violation of CAA and PIA rules.

The PIA CEO told her that surface travelling was not against the rules.

The CEO added that the alcohol test of the pilot had been carried out and the airline was looking into all aspects including the speed of the plane.

PML-N MNA Romina Khurshid Alam said that multinational companies abroad were engaged in renovations but the airports in Pakistan did not even have a tuck shop.

To this, the CAA DG replied that three airports in the country were being outsourced.

He added that the Islamabad airport would be outsourced in a few days after which its conditions would improve.

The PIA CEO told the committee that the national carrier paid interest to the bank out of the amount it earned.

He continued that the PIA also had to pay the arrears of the CAA as well as those of the fuel company.