KARACHI – The employees of Pakistan’s aviation regulator staged a protest on Thursday against the outsourcing of the airports in the country.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) employees demonstrated their strength at Jinnah International Airport Karachi carrying banners and placards besides shouting slogans against the decision to outsource three major airports in the country.
The employees demanded the withdrawal of the decision and also called for a protest in Islamabad on August 8; the protesters opined that outsourcing the airports to external entities poses a threat to the nation’s security, Samaa reported.
The demonstrators threatened that if the outsourcing process is not revoked, they will exercise all options including shutting down the operation.
It bears mentioning that the government has announced to outsource the Islamabad International Airport for 15 years and Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique told lawmakers recently that the move does not equate to privatization.
Instead, it aims to bring in proficient operators to enhance airport operations, he said.
Khawaja Saad Rafique emphasized that open competitive bidding would be ensured, allowing the best bidder to be given the opportunity to operate the airport. The process, he said, will be profit-oriented, ultimately benefiting the national exchequer.
The International Finance Corporation will serve as the consultant, and already 12-13 companies have shown interest in participating in the bidding process, he added. The minister assured that the process would be transparent and adhere to all rules and regulations; however, the minister clarified that the runway and navigation operations would not be included in the outsourcing process.
Highlighting the success of outsourced airports in other countries like India and Turkiye, Khawaja Saad Rafique mentioned that even Madina airport has been efficiently outsourced to deliver enhanced services.
The minister also stressed the need to restructure Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to address its substantial deficit, which has reached Rs80 billion this year and is projected to increase to Rs259 billion by 2030 if not dealt with appropriately.
The government has also vowed to outsource the Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore and Jinnah International Airport in Karachi though the tenure of the incumbent regime is expiring in less than 15 days.
