CAA workers protest outsourcing of airports

The daily affairs of the Islamabad International Airport were greatly affected as employees of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) staged a strong protest in the airport lounges against the government’s decision to outsource various facilities at the country’s airports.

The authorities have started the outsourcing process at Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad airports to be run through a public-private partnership, a move meant to generate foreign exchange reserves.

On Thursday, the airlines and passengers faced immense difficulties due to the protest while the passengers also faced problems in boarding and immigration affairs.

The CAA employees across the country are protesting against the outsourcing of various facilities at airports. The CAA employees observed a strike at the Islamabad International Airport and gathered in the airport’s lounges. They were holding placards with the slogan “outsourcing not acceptable” written on them.

The employees also raised slogans against the outsourcing of airports. Due to the protest of CAA employees, the passengers faced a lot of difficulties in boarding their flights.

Representatives of the CAA unions – Akai and Jaca – said: “The protest will not end until the government clears the reservations in writing.”

It may be noted that the representatives of the CAA employees met with the Cabinet Committee, comprising federal ministers Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Naveed Qamar and other members, two days ago in which it was assured that the concerns of the CAA employees would be addressed. However, the CAA unions announced to continue the protest until a written agreement was reached.

Last week, the CAA employees announced a massive protest against the outsourcing of national airports in a rally taken out at the arrival lounge of the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, threatening to halt the authority’s operations.

Recently, Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique stressed the importance of encouraging the private sector to carry out business responsibilities while the government focuses on regulatory responsibilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2023.