CAA snubs reports of grounding pilots

Authority also defends local airlines hiring foreign aviators

ISLAMABAD:

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) clarified on Tuesday that no pilot had been grounded, nor had the issuance or renewal of their licenses stalled, refuting media reports.

The CAA stated that the process of issuing or renewing licenses for pilots, in accordance with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Act, 2023, was ongoing and followed strict rules.

Contrary to media reports, the CAA denied blocking licenses for 130 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilots, which would have grounded them.

The Aircraft Owners and Operators Association (AOOA) expressed concerns over the Pakistan Civil Aviation Act, 2023, arguing that shifting the authority to issue licenses from the director to the director general of the CAA was a misstep. This change allegedly left 130 PIA pilots without licenses and unemployed.

It maintained that because of the new law, the CAA was unable to issue licences to 130 PIA pilots, rendering them unemployed.

The association appealed to the federal aviation minister to take notice of the issue as the PIA was already facing a severe shortage of pilots. It pushed the government to make changes in the new law.

The AOOA further criticised the hiring practices of local airlines, especially their preference for foreign pilots over hundreds of local and unemployed ones.

It continued that this practice not only sidelined hundreds of Pakistani pilots but also resulted in substantial financial implications, as foreign ones were reportedly receiving salaries ranging between $9,500 and $15,000 in the form of dollars.

The association noted that this trend resulted in a significant outflow of dollars from the nation, urging local airlines to employ domestic pilots.

It also alleged that these foreign pilots were benefiting from tax exemptions -- a matter it suggested should warrant scrutiny from the Federal Board of Revenue and intervention by the government.

The CAA in its statement further clarified that local airlines hired foreign pilots and this was permissible under the authority’s rules.

These foreign pilots receive their work visas after clearance from the interior ministry and are subsequently issued with a verification certificate.

The authority added that the endorsements of the foreign pilots were renewed as per the rules at the request of the airlines.