ISLAMABAD – The caretaker regime has officially split Civil Aviation Authority into two separate entities to improve the efficiency of the aviation industry and facilitate flyers.
Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) and Civil Aviation would now work independently as per the notification issued by the Aviation Division.
As far as the functions are concerned, airports would be operated under the command of the Pakistan Airports Authority while licensing, airworthiness, flight standards, air transport and other allied functions would be dealt with by Civil Aviation.
The Aviation Division has directed the relevant officials to immediately provide details, including the number of employees, assets and other relevant information for taking the necessary measures.
The administrative split comes weeks after the federal government implemented the Civil Aviation Authority Act and Pakistan Airports Authority Act under which both the bodies would be headed by separate administrative heads.
The decision is a follow-up of the legislation introduced by the previous regime aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the sector and providing more comfort and services to passengers.
The move comes amid the steps taken by the caretaker government to privatize loss-making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) which is dealing a blow to the national exchequer every day.
The severity of the matter could be gauged from the fact that the national carrier had to cancel or delay over 300 flights in recent weeks because of the shortage of fuel.
The caretaker minister for privatisation, Fawad Hassan Fawad has time and again advocated privatisation of the carrier, and as part of the same move, Ernst & Young-led consortium has also been hired to prepare a plan to privatize the national carrier.
Meanwhile, a team from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is due in Pakistan on Sunday to conduct an audit of the carrier to pave the way for PIA to resume flight operations for the United Kingdom and other European destinations.
