PIA hires operations director without requisite approvals

The bone of contention in Jameel’s appointment is his academic qualification.

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) appointed Captain Humayun Jameel as deputy managing director operations without taking requisite approvals from the board of directors, officials told The Express Tribune.

A Boeing-777 pilot, Jameel will also be overseeing administration related affairs besides heading the operation’s department, which deals with flight schedules and deployment of crew on the aircraft.

The appointment comes at a time when government’s ambition to independently manage aviation affairs hit a stalemate after Aviation Adviser Shujaat Azeem said he will resigning over dual nationality and interests in a company, which works with the national carrier.

President of PIA’s Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) Hidayatullah Khan said Jameel’s appointment was illegal as it has been done by the secretary of aviation division.

“This is not the only issue. According to a Supreme Court decision, pilots performing managerial duties are not supposed to fly planes. Apparently he will continue to operate flights.”

But what has really become a bone of contention in Jameel’s appointment is his academic qualification. “He is only a matriculate. How can he manage administration when his juniors are better educated and would try to undermine his authority?” Khan said.

PIA now has two DMDs. Air Vice Marshal Qasim Masood Khan is DMD Engineering. PIA’s Managing Director Captain M Junaid Yunus is also a pilot.

PIA spokesperson Mashood Tajwar said that there was nothing wrong with the appointment. “It is prerogative of the managing director to appoint someone to that post. There is no special procedure for this. This is more like a promotion.”

He could not immediately confirm if Jameel was just a matriculate. “I don’t think these suggestions regarding his academic qualification are authentic. Jameel has been with the airline for over 30 years and he is a senior pilot.”

About the fact if Jameel will be flying the aircraft, he said pilots working on executive duties have certain exemptions as per the corporate policy.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2013.

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