EASA lifts ban on PIA for flights to Europe [Post Updated #120]

[Firebat]

More problems for PIA now as they are banned from flying in Europe for half a year:

==

The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) on Tuesday announced it was “temporarily” suspending Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)’s authorization to operate in member states, less than a week after Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan alleged in Parliament that a third of the state carrier’s pilots possessed fake or “dubious” licenses.

The EASA, in a letter to PIA seen by Newsweek, said it had decided to suspend PIA’s operations both because the airline had failed to implement all elements of a safety management system and due to the concerns raised by the aviation minister. “EASA is concerned about the validity of the Pakistani pilot licenses and that Pakistan, as the state of operator, is currently not capable to certify and oversee its operators and aircraft in accordance with applicable international standards,” it said.

Referring to the safety management system, EASA said the organization could not approve additional timelines because the software application proposed by PIA was still under development—with PIA claiming it would be completed in three to four months—and there was no guarantee it would be completed in time. Similarly, it said, safety reports were not processed, and corrective action plans had not been fully implemented despite the deadline being extended from May 24, 2020 to June 17, 2020.

“Moreover, following the recent tragic events that M/S Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited has faced, including flight PK8303 on May 22, 2020 and the initial findings laid down in the preliminary accident report showing successive breaches of multiple layers of safety defenses in the safety management system, EASA is concerned that the safety management system is not achieving its primary objective,” it added.

The EASA statement noted that PIA had sought to allay concerns about pilots with dubious licenses. “However, this does not mitigate EASA’s concern, as there are strong indications that a high number of Pakistani pilot licenses are invalid. EASA therefore no longer has confidence that Pakistan, as the state of operator, can effectively ensure that operators certified in Pakistan comply at all times with the applicable requirements for crew qualification,” it added.

The letter states that EASA “may extend the suspension period for additional 3 months” at the conclusion of six months, and warns that the authorization can be revoked outright after the suspension period if EASA “is not satisfied that successful corrective action have been taken.”

According to EASA, PIA has the right to appeal the decision and must file it in writing within two months of the date of the notification. “Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited is required to pay a fee when lodging the appeal,” it added.

For now, PIA has discontinued all flights to Europe. Passengers with reservations on PIA flights to European nations would have the option to either extend their bookings to a later date or get full refunds for their ticket prices, according to a PIA spokesman.

A statement issued by PIA said the state carrier was in contact with EASA to allay its concerns and take the corrective measures required to end the suspension. The national flag carrier “sincerely hopes that with reparative and swift actions taken by the Government of Pakistan and PIA management, earliest possible lifting of this suspension can be expected,” it added.

Overall, 262 Pakistani pilots have been grounded due to the aviation minister’s claims. Of these, 109 are commercial and 153 airline transport pilots. They would remain grounded until their licenses have been investigated, says PIA. It said of the grounded pilots, 141 were from PIA, nine from Air Blue, 10 from Serene Airline, and 17 from the defunct Shaheen Airlines.

In addition to the ban from EASA, PIA pilots employed in Vietnam have been grounded, Qatar Airways and Oman Airways have compiled lists of Pakistani staff, and Kuwait Air has also announced it would take action against Pakistani staff.

https://www.newsweekpakistan.com/e-u-bans-pia-from-airspace-for-six-months/

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">EASA has suspended PIA's permission to operate to EU member states for 6 months w.e.f July 1, 2020: 0000Hrs UTC. PIA is in touch with EASA to allay their concerns and hopes that the suspension will be revoked with our CBMs soon.</p>— PIA (@Official_PIA) <a href="https://twitter.com/Official_PIA/status/1277977170413907975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[owais1]

What. A. Shame

PIA is nothing but a company to laugh at. This is what happens when you let incompetent corrupt people run an airline. They have put a once top airline to it's knees.

 

[owais1]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

Is this the army's fault as well?

 

[chinaman00]

And some people were arguing on other threads that Imran Khan’s OBL martyr diatribe had no implications for Pakistan. The EU is taking these actions because of the statement by a Pakistani minister at the Pakistani National Assembly.

WORDS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!!!

Pakistanis are very good at own-goals. No wonder the country produces more soccer balls than any other country in the world.

 

[Minnowbasher]

Does this include Britain then?

 

[owais1]

It happened because of the aviation minister and he did an excellent job. Would you prefer fake pilots flying around? PIA is desperately in need of an overhaul and this is excellent.

 

[King-Misbah]

Makes absolute sense if your pilots are flying on fake licences. The previous governments should hang their heads in shame as they are responsible for this mess.

 

[Mamoon]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

Is this the army's fault as well?

They are the root of the problem, but this specific own goal is because the fake degree holder, our aviation minister, decided to politicize the problem.

If PTI were sincere about the PIA reforms, they would do their job quietly without defaming PIA and the country at the international level.

However, this is a carefully crafted ploy - PTI’s political tactic is basically to thrive on noise pollution. By shouting loudly, abusing and throwing insults, they aim to get away with the fact that they are woefully incompetent and cannot walk the talk.

We all know that PTI’s reforms basically make things worse than before. We have seen that in 7 years in KP and we are seeing it now at the federal level, and we will also see it in a few years when PIA would actually reach new lows under their clueless leadership.

Imran also knows this. He has collected the most unique assortment of inept, dumb gutter-mouths in his team who partake in the “who can abuse the most” contest. The better you are at abusing, the more prominent position you will have in the PTI government.

But this tactic works effectively when it comes to escaping accountability. After PTI’s reforms turn PIA into a bigger circus, they will say that it is not our fault because we inherited a mess. But if they get something right by fluke, they will take all the credit.

This is PTI’s modus operandi in every department. You can apply this formula across the board.

Something good happens, thanks to us; something bad happens, thanks to them.

For months, the Naya PIA has been blowing it’s trumpet over the increase in profits, but it appears that they were not concerned - or not aware - about the pilots with fake licenses.

Would a serious, credible management of an airline celebrate the increase in profits when its pilots are flying the planes with fake licenses?

What does this say about the current PIA leadership and the leader who has appointed this leadership in the first place?

 

[King-Misbah]

They are the root of the problem, but this specific own goal is because the fake degree holder, our aviation minister, decided to politicize the problem.

If PTI were sincere about the PIA reforms, they would do their job quietly without defaming PIA and the country at the international level.

However, this is a carefully crafted ploy - PTI’s political tactic is basically to thrive on noise pollution. By shouting loudly, abusing and throwing insults, they aim to get away with the fact that they are woefully incompetent and cannot walk the talk.

We all know that PTI’s reforms basically make things worse than before. We have seen that in 7 years in KP and we are seeing it now at the federal level, and we will also see it in a few years when PIA would actually reach new lows under their clueless leadership.

Imran also knows this. He has collected the most unique assortment of inept, dumb gutter-mouths in his team who partake in the “who can abuse the most” contest. The better you are at abusing, the more prominent position you will have in the PTI government.

But this tactic works effectively when it comes to escaping accountability. After PTI’s reforms turn PIA into a bigger circus, they will say that it is not our fault because we inherited a mess. But if they get something right by fluke, they will take all the credit.

This is PTI’s modus operandi in every department. You can apply this formula across the board.

Something good happens, thanks to us; something bad happens, thanks to them.

For months, the Naya PIA has been blowing it’s trumpet over the increase in profits, but it appears that they were not concerned - or not aware - about the pilots with fake licenses.

Would a serious, credible management of an airline celebrate the increase in profits when its pilots are flying the planes with fake licenses?

What does this say about the current PIA leadership and the leader who has appointed this leadership in the first place?

Answer one question: who hired these 200 odd fake pilots? Lets not waffle.

 

[Syed1]

It happened because of the aviation minister and he did an excellent job. Would you prefer fake pilots flying around? PIA is desperately in need of an overhaul and this is excellent.

A certain person writing long novels in favour of fake pilots. He himself is a doctor, would he want his family to see a doctor with fake licence even for flu?

 

[chinaman00]

It happened because of the aviation minister and he did an excellent job. Would you prefer fake pilots flying around? PIA is desperately in need of an overhaul and this is excellent.

If this was the strategy, then that’s good and indeed laudable. But I doubt that was the case.

Anyways, Pakistan needs to sell off these state owned enterprises that are sucking up bigger funds than even the defense budget and haven’t performed for decades. The money saved should go to finance Pakistan’s education and health infrastructure and place Pakistan at a position to compete competitively.

But that won’t happen and the current government will continue the old failed policy of “reform before privatization” mantra which has never worked and will never work and will contour to plunge Pakistan deeper into economic turmoil. The privatization of PTCL provides a wonderful example of the many dividends created when government gets out of the business of being in business.

 

[Mamoon]

It happened because of the aviation minister and he did an excellent job. Would you prefer fake pilots flying around? PIA is desperately in need of an overhaul and this is excellent.

Why is a person with fake degrees charges on him serving as the aviation minister? What reforms can we expect when we are led by a failure like him?

It amazing to see how the people Imran Khan has unleashed on the public of Pakistan to usher the era of Naya Pakistan.

It seems that he has gone out of his way to find the worst possible candidate for every position.

 

[Mamoon]

Answer one question: who hired these 200 odd fake pilots? Lets not waffle.

Didn’t I tell you the other day that I am done with listening to rona dhona over previous governments?

- why did PTI appoint an aviation minister with charges of fake degree?

- why did it take 2 years and a crash for PTI government to show urgency against these pilots?

- why did the new management of PIA do bhangra over the increased profits when they had fake pilots flying the planes? Which credible airline management would celebrate profits when it has a fake pilots problem?

 

[King-Misbah]

Why is a person with fake degrees charges on him serving as the aviation minister? What reforms can we expect when we are led by a failure like him?

It amazing to see how the people Imran Khan has unleashed on the public of Pakistan to usher the era of Naya Pakistan.

It seems that he has gone out of his way to find the worst possible candidate for every position.

There is no one more incompetent then the Sharifs that you support. Your party has destroyed this country and then you have the audacity to blame others. Have some shame and leave Pakistan.

 

[MenInG]

The European Union’s aviation safety agency announced today that Pakistan’s national airline would not be allowed to fly into Europe for at least six months after the country’s aviation minister revealed that nearly a third of Pakistani pilots had cheated during their pilot’s exams.

Pakistan International Airlines spokesman Abdullah Hafeez said PIA had not been flying to Europe because of the pandemic. But the airline had hoped to resume its flights to Oslo, Copenhagen, Paris, Barcelona and Milan within the next two months.

“It is hurting us really bad,” he said of the pilots scandal.

An inquiry into a 22 May Airbus A320 crash that killed 97 people at the southern port city of Karachi resulted in the revelation that 260 of 860 pilots in Pakistan had cheated during their exams, but were still given licences by the Civil Aviation Authority.

The government has since fired five officials of the regulatory agency and criminal charges are being considered.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said in a letter announcing the ban that it was “concerned about the validity of the Pakistani pilot licenses and that Pakistan, as the State of operator, is currently not capable to certify and oversee its operators and aircraft in accordance with applicable international standards.”

PIA has grounded 150 pilots for cheating.

Hafeez told the Associated Press in a phone interview today that PIA had alerted the Civil Aviation Authority, the Pakistani regulatory body that issues pilots licences, about its concerns over some of the licenses. In 2019, PIA grounded 17 pilots over concerns about their licences after one of its aircraft skidded off a runway in northern Pakistan.

“The saddest part for PIA is that we had alerted the regulatory agency and the government,” Hafeez said.

He said the national airline would have a difficult time regaining its reputation and said that more than a decade ago PIA was considered one of the better airlines.

Aviation experts fear the ban by the EU could affect PIA flights to the UK and Canada because its aircraft will not be able to fly over Europe, forcing longer routes.

“We have really hit rock bottom I am so sad to say,” said Hafeez.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...over-pilot-exam-cheats?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

[shaykh]

Am I the only person curious about the licensing system?...1/3 of the pilots flew successfully while unlicensed ...how difficult is it to fly a plane ?

 

[Varun]

Hehe, if ever there was a 6 month period where a ban flying to someplace wouldn't impact a carrier, now is it.

Though it would hit whatever repatriation flights PIA are undertaking to evacuate stranded Pakistanis out of Europe.

 

[Bewal Express]

And some people were arguing on other threads that Imran Khan’s OBL martyr diatribe had no implications for Pakistan. The EU is taking these actions because of the statement by a Pakistani minister at the Pakistani National Assembly.

WORDS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!!!

Pakistanis are very good at own-goals. No wonder the country produces more soccer balls than any other country in the world.

No corruption has consequences. We have Uncle Tom's telling us that corruption is not a problem and then it leads to innocent people being killed.

 

[Bewal Express]

Didn’t I tell you the other day that I am done with listening to rona dhona over previous governments?

- why did PTI appoint an aviation minister with charges of fake degree?

- why did it take 2 years and a crash for PTI government to show urgency against these pilots?

- why did the new management of PIA do bhangra over the increased profits when they had fake pilots flying the planes? Which credible airline management would celebrate profits when it has a fake pilots problem?

Uncle Tom, corruption has consequences. Its not the aviation Minister that hired these crook, they were hired by your crooked friends.

 

[Mamoon]

Am I the only person curious about the licensing system?...1/3 of the pilots flew successfully while unlicensed ...how difficult is it to fly a plane ?

My understanding is that these people failed theoretical exams but obviously went through the physical/practical training program.

Theoretical exams are necessary for getting a license but probably not necessary for learning how to fly, which has to do with practical knowledge.

People around the world can drive even though they aren’t even literate enough to read road signs.

In my opinion, we need a comprehensive study on what percentage of PIA crashes have happened due to pilots with fake licenses.

If these pilots have shown comprehensive flying capabilities, it would be better to make them sit and study for the exams and get their licenses instead of going through the whole process with a new candidate. That would be costlier and would take more time.

Funnily enough, someone asked if a fake doctor can treat flu. The answer surprisingly enough is yes. In specialized fields, there is a lot of repetition of tasks and things eventually become routine.

So a person of above average intelligence can actually learn how to do diagnosis and what medicine to prescribe even if he hasn’t studied formal medicine for 5 years.

If you are a genius, perhaps you can learn to perform tasks that require extreme skill. For example, could a person of Da Vinci’s IQ learn to perform a heart surgery? I would say yes, provided that he has observed enough identical heart surgeries performed by trained surgeons.

Degrees give you a license to work, but they are often not necessary when you have practical experience.

 

[Mamoon]

Uncle Tom, corruption has consequences. Its not the aviation Minister that hired these crook, they were hired by your crooked friends.

And who hired an aviation minister with fake degree?

 

[Bewal Express]

And who hired an aviation minister with fake degree?

He isn't a pilot and he doesn't maintain planes. He doesn't work for PIA and wasn't hires based on his degree.
And BTW the allegations were untrue. Unless you fancy challenging it court.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1475577

 

[Bewal Express]

And who hired an aviation minister with fake degree?

Another humiliation.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1475577

 

[Mamoon]

He isn't a pilot and he doesn't maintain planes. He doesn't work for PIA and wasn't hires based on his degree.
And BTW the allegations were untrue. Unless you fancy challenging it court.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1475577

So it is okay for an aviation minister to have a fake degree because he doesn’t fly planes?

And he was hired based on what?

Yes allegations are untrue of course. The courts are honest when they give a verdict in PTI’s favor but corrupt when they don’t.

 

[King-Misbah]

Another humiliation.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1475577

Humiliation is a daily occurance for some.

 

[Bewal Express]

There is no one more incompetent then the Sharifs that you support. Your party has destroyed this country and then you have the audacity to blame others. Have some shame and leave Pakistan.

There isn't an FBR equivalent to pay for good living standard outside PK.

 

[Mamoon]

So apparently it is not an issue of the aviation minister has a fake degree, because he doesn’t fly planes and he wasn’t hired because of his degree.

Imran Khan shares this line of thinking so it is not surprising to see the assortment of idiots & morons that he has collected in his government.

 

[Bewal Express]

So it is okay for an aviation minister to have a fake degree because he doesn’t fly planes?

And he was hired based on what?

Yes allegations are untrue of course. The courts are honest when they give a verdict in PTI’s favor but corrupt when they don’t.

Why you looking for a way out. Does he have a fake degree? No, does he fly planes or maintain planes no, did the people that fly the planes have fake degrees, yes. Who said corruption isn't a problem. Go away, your arguments are idiotic even by your standard.

 

[Bewal Express]

So apparently it is not an issue of the aviation minister has a fake degree, because he doesn’t fly planes and he wasn’t hired because of his degree.

Imran Khan shares this line of thinking so it is not surprising to see the assortment of idiots & morons that he has collected in his government.

He doesn't

==============

Petroleum minister acquitted in fake diploma case

LAHORE: An anti-corruption court on Thursday acquitted Federal Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan in a fake diploma case.

The ACE had in 2012 lodged an FIR against the minister and others under sections 420, 468, 471, 218, 109 of the PPC and under section 5(2) 47 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947 on charges of corruption and getting a fake diploma from the Punjab Board of Technical Education.

Other suspects in the case included PBTE former chairman, secretary and two officials. They were accused of issuing a duplicate diploma unlawfully.

Mr Khan had taken plea that the case against him was nothing but “political victimisation.”

The ACE in its previous report filed before the trial court had declared the minister guilty and stated that his indictment had been delayed due to his non-appearance.

The minister had also got a stay from the LHC against the trial court’s proceedings, which was later withdrawn for repeated adjournment requests filed by his counsel. In its report submitted to the LHC on March 1, the ACE had stated that the diploma possessed by the minister had been found genuine.

It said the allegations against the minister of having obtained a fake diploma had been found baseless during a thorough inquiry.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1475577/pe...e-diploma-case

 

[Bewal Express]

So apparently it is not an issue of the aviation minister has a fake degree, because he doesn’t fly planes and he wasn’t hired because of his degree.

Imran Khan shares this line of thinking so it is not surprising to see the assortment of idiots & morons that he has collected in his government.

So back to corruption. Does corruption lead to lives being put at risk or not?

 

[last_knight]

A certain person writing long novels in favour of fake pilots. He himself is a doctor, would he want his family to see a doctor with fake licence even for flu?

iirc, He once tried to justify a fake degree holder getting admission in Medical College

 

[owais1]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

Trust me, I despise Imran Khan and PTI more than you. I despise every political party in Pakistan, because they feed on the poor, are incompetent and corrupt. Naya Pakistan is a bigger joke than anything in the history of Pakistan.

However, the aviation minister did a great thing to publically shame PIA. Idc if he did that for political gaines. The fact is that the flying coffins wont be flying anymore and the criminals (fake pilots) are shamed in public.

 

[Saj]

UK stops PIA flights as well - flights to London, Manchester and Birmingham will be halted immediately following the EU Aviation Safety Agency’s decision to ban PIA for six months.

 

[tahir_dj]

UK stops PIA flights as well - flights to London, Manchester and Birmingham will be halted immediately following the EU Aviation Safety Agency’s decision to ban PIA for six months.

Good at least not the leeches of Pia unions wont be able to black mail the government.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

UK stops PIA flights as well - flights to London, Manchester and Birmingham will be halted immediately following the EU Aviation Safety Agency’s decision to ban PIA for six months.

Good news for UK Pakistanis and British Airways.

 

[Bewal Express]

It's time the PIA employees were sacked and then rehire on merit. The damage has been done by the corrupt hiring over decades.

 

[Local.Dada]

Does Europe involve turkey as well or was there an Ertugul discount?

 

[The Viper]

<a href="https://ibb.co/GMRf4bv"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/hdVxJtR/b02e4b7a-e660-409a-81ff-a64698f74dce.jpg" alt="b02e4b7a-e660-409a-81ff-a64698f74dce" border="0"></a>

 

[MRSN]

They are the root of the problem, but this specific own goal is because the fake degree holder, our aviation minister, decided to politicize the problem.

If PTI were sincere about the PIA reforms, they would do their job quietly without defaming PIA and the country at the international level.

However, this is a carefully crafted ploy - PTI’s political tactic is basically to thrive on noise pollution. By shouting loudly, abusing and throwing insults, they aim to get away with the fact that they are woefully incompetent and cannot walk the talk.

We all know that PTI’s reforms basically make things worse than before. We have seen that in 7 years in KP and we are seeing it now at the federal level, and we will also see it in a few years when PIA would actually reach new lows under their clueless leadership.

Imran also knows this. He has collected the most unique assortment of inept, dumb gutter-mouths in his team who partake in the “who can abuse the most” contest. The better you are at abusing, the more prominent position you will have in the PTI government.

But this tactic works effectively when it comes to escaping accountability. After PTI’s reforms turn PIA into a bigger circus, they will say that it is not our fault because we inherited a mess. But if they get something right by fluke, they will take all the credit.

This is PTI’s modus operandi in every department. You can apply this formula across the board.

Something good happens, thanks to us; something bad happens, thanks to them.

For months, the Naya PIA has been blowing it’s trumpet over the increase in profits, but it appears that they were not concerned - or not aware - about the pilots with fake licenses.

Would a serious, credible management of an airline celebrate the increase in profits when its pilots are flying the planes with fake licenses?

What does this say about the current PIA leadership and the leader who has appointed this leadership in the first place?

Very well said.


From fake to suspected fakes this minister has earned international embarrassment for Pakistan. If Imran Khan has any shame he would sack this incompetent minister.

 

[Bigboii]

No one has a problem with sackings, problem is with the airing of our laundry

what kind of a buffoon publicly talks about a major scandal like this

I don't think PIA is coming out of this say goodbye to our national airline

I mean IK went to business conference to attract investment than started talking about ZARDARI A
and Nawaz Sharif corruption

I mean where are the brain cells?

 

[Buffet]

Mamoon's happiness was short lived.
EU/UK revises its decision. Mods please update the OP.



https://arynews.tv/en/eu-flight-operation-pia-easa-uk/

In yout post,

However, EASA has granted permission to PIA for operating flights in the countries for a limited period until July 3.

It seems EASA is allowing it to fly for 2-3 extra days.

-------------

No matter what happens, safety shouldn't be sacrificed. It's a good step to not allow fake pilots to fly till issue is looked.

 

[Buffet]

No one has a problem with sackings, problem is with the airing of our laundry

what kind of a buffoon publicly talks about a major scandal like this

I don't think PIA is coming out of this say goodbye to our national airline

I mean IK went to business conference to attract investment than started talking about ZARDARI A
and Nawaz Sharif corruption

I mean where are the brain cells?

What purpose that will serve? It's not as if he is in opposition.

He has been PM for few years now. It's time to stop talking about others and time to pay attention to what he says when dealing with outside world.

 

[cric_man]

In yout post,

However, EASA has granted permission to PIA for operating flights in the countries for a limited period until July 3.

It seems EASA is allowing it to fly for 2-3 extra days.

-------------

No matter what happens, safety shouldn't be sacrificed. It's a good step to not allow fake pilots to fly till issue is looked.

Did you even read the article that you posted?

You guys are absolutely correct. In order to troll the troller I didn't read it through. Just looked at the headlines and didn't read through the article.
Mea Culpa!

 

[Abdullah719]

UK withdraws PIA permit to operate from Birmingham, London and Manchester airports

The revelation of pilots holding "dubious" licences continued to take its toll as the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority said it was withdrawing the Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) permit to operate from three of its airports and the United Arab Emirates sought to verify the credentials of its Pakistani pilots and engineers.

“PIA flights from Birmingham, London Heathrow and Manchester airports are suspended with immediate effect,” a spokesman for the UK authority told Reuters on Tuesday.

The three were major flying destinations for the airline.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates is seeking to verify the credentials of the Pakistani pilots and engineers employed in its airlines after the government grounded 262 pilots for holding “dubious” qualifications.

The director general of the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi requested the verification of the credentials of Pakistani pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, and flight operations officers working in the Middle Eastern country in a June 29 letter reviewed by Reuters to Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) Director General Hassan Nasir Jamy.

“We would like to request your good offices to verify the licensing credentials of the attached pilots list who are currently holding UAE's pilots licences based on licences and qualifications issued by PCAA,” the letter said.

The aviation ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The announcements come on the heels of the European Union Air Safety Agency's (EASA) decision to suspend PIA's operations in the bloc for the next six months.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1566327/u...rom-birmingham-london-and-manchester-airports

 

[CanadianG00se]

Does Europe involve turkey as well or was there an Ertugul discount?

Turkey is not a part of European Union(EU), so ban doesn’t include Turkey.

 

[MenInG]

PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday held the PTI government responsible for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) being barred from operating flights to European countries, saying the government wants to sell off the national flag carrier's assets based on "lies".

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, he said PIA's permit to fly to EU countries was suspended because Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had accused its pilots of holding dubious licences "without any evidence".

"The minister whose own degree is fake ... levelled this type of allegation against our pilots without any evidence [leading to] them being banned across the world. No one has caused this type of damage to PIA in history as this government," he said, referring to Khan.

Read: PIA banned from flying to EU states for six months

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

Bilawal said government officials failed to realise that pilots are required to sit an exam and renew their licence every six months and they do not necessarily require a degree to operate flights.

He emphasised that the licence and certification are issued to all pilots by the Civil Aviation Authority.

"I had warned the [government] on the floor of the parliament that if you don't adopt a policy to control the pandemic, you will be isolated like Sweden and some other countries and your citizens won't be allowed into other countries," he said.

The PPP leader accused the government of "telling lies such as this" to privatise PIA by taking advantage of the May 22 air crash in Karachi involving the national airline that killed 98 people.

He said the government wants to sell off PIA's assets to benefit its frontmen including the Roosevelt Hotel owned by the airline in New York, which he said is a profitable property. But even if the government is in favour of privatisation, it cannot sell off PIA in the current economic circumstances, Bilawal added.

He said the government was targeting pilots even though Pakistani pilots are considered some of the best in the world. "Emirates headhunts PIA pilots [while] Imran Khan's government which itself is selected and fake carries out their character assassination," Bilawal said.

PIA's latest troubles began after Aviation Minister Khan last week announced the grounding of 262 airline pilots — including 141 from PIA — who were suspected of dodging their exams.

The revelation caused global concern and on Tuesday, the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) suspended PIA's authorisation to operate in the bloc for six months.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

This was followed by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority withdrawing the national flag carrier's permit to operate from three of its airports and the United Arab Emirates seeking to verify the credentials of its Pakistani pilots and engineers.

'Covid-19 curve not flattening'

Speaking about the Covid-19 situation in the country, Bilawal said the impression being given by some officials that Pakistan's coronavirus curve is flattening is a "blatant lie".

"Some people who have not read anything about the virus are saying that the curve is flattening; this is a blatant lie," he said while referring to government officials.

He alleged that the PTI government had "sabotaged" efforts to contain the Covid-19 outbreak from day one and had not taken any steps to mitigate the virus's threat.

"The worse is yet to come; the curve would only flatten if you had taken steps to flatten it," he said, adding that Covid-19 cases have risen in the country because the government has not made enough efforts.

Bilawal said Pakistan is grappling with "historical" challenges in the form of the virus outbreak, locusts attacks, a weak economy and monsoon rains but the "instead of making improvements, the PTI is making the situation worse".

He said he had challenged Prime Minister Imran Khan to a debate on Covid-19 and the economy, but the premier was not ready to face him in the parliament and left after delivering his own speech.

"His problem is that he is not ready to become the country's PM, he is glad to be the PM of the PTI and their Facebook and Twitter.

"We need a serious adult who can tackle the serious issues being faced by the country, who can understand what a pandemic is and take steps to deal with it," Bilawal added.

Clarification on bin Laden

Bilawal also said Prime Minister Imran has yet to issue a clarification for referring to slain Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as "martyred".

"You said this on the floor of the house under oath, and in the US you say that [American forces] killed him on a tip provided by the ISI," he said, addressing the premier.

"If Osama bin Laden is a martyr then what is your stance on APS [attack] and operation Zarb-i-Azb?"

Bilawal added that the prime minister needs to clarify his position because the country is being "defamed" due to the matter.

 

[MenInG]

Chain reaction.

PIA/Govt need to bring in an external regulator - a sort of an audit - and publish a report with clear ways of battling this menace or no one will trust us - ever.

 

[Napa]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

Is this the army's fault as well?

For a change it is the Air Force's rather than the Army's fault. The CEO of PIA is Air Marshal Arshad Malik. No other major airlines around the world as far as I know has an Air Marshal with no prior commercial experience as CEO.

 

[Napa]

Am I the only person curious about the licensing system?...1/3 of the pilots flew successfully while unlicensed ...how difficult is it to fly a plane ?

It is not very difficult to fly a plane, but a throughly trained pilot will make fewer mistakes than one who is not. Also a pilot in an organization that puts an emphasis on professionalism will be less likely to make a mistake.

Unfortunately, all it takes is one mistake, though in this case it seems unbelievable that such an incredible mistake was made.

“It’s very unusual in modern transport category aircraft to have a no-gear landing, just because the checklist and the warnings that go off,” Guzzetti said.

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2020/05/28/570215.htm

 

[sweep_shot]

This is unexpected but could very well be a good thing in the long run.

I hope PIA cleans up the mess.

 

[Abdullah719]

Pakistan takes up suspension of flights to EASA

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday took up the matter of temporary suspension of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights into the Europe by European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) with his counterpart from Denmark Jeppe Kofod.

Foreign Minister Qureshi held a video conference with Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod of Denmark in which, according to Foreign Office, the two sides exchanged views on Covid-19 pandemic, regional situation and other matters of mutual interest.

It stated that the Foreign Minister conveyed concern on temporary suspension of PIA flights into Denmark as a follow up to EASA's decision. He underlined that all necessary steps were being taken by the government to ensure the highest level of flight safety in PIA operations.

Spoiler

He said that PIA remained committed to maintaining the highest standards and quality in its operations. The Foreign Minister stressed the need for review of the EASA decision.

At the outset, the Danish Foreign Minister offered his condolences on the loss of precious lives in the terrorist attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange. The Foreign Minister thanked the Danish Foreign Minister and shared Pakistan's concerns on externally sponsored and financed terrorism against Pakistan.

Qureshi also briefed the Danish Foreign Minister on the measures being taken by the government of Pakistan to contain the pathogen while safeguarding lives and livelihoods.

He further commended Denmark's deft handling of the crisis, which had made it the leader in Europe in opening up following lockdowns in the aftermath of the Pandemic. The Foreign Minister expressed hope that Pakistani nationals will not be subjected to any restrictions or discrimination as and when travel restrictions are relaxed by Denmark.

The two Ministers exchanged views about the socio-economic ramifications of the Pandemic. The Foreign Minister apprised his Danish counterpart of Prime Minister Imran Khan's "Global Initiative on Debt Relief" for developing countries.

He underscored that coordinated and comprehensive actions were essential to create fiscal space needed by the developing world to deal with the socio-economic impact of Covid-19, and hoped that Denmark would support the Initiative.

Foreign Minister Qureshi shared deep concern over continuing lockdown in IOJ&K as well as the intensification of military crackdown and extra-judicial killings by Indian occupation forces.

He denounced India's moves to alter the demographic structure of IOJ&K by introducing new domicile law and granting domicile to 25,000 non-Kashmiris, calling it a clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention.

The two foreign ministers also discussed the situation in Afghanistan in the context of recent developments. The Foreign Minister highlighted Pakistan's positive contribution to the U.S.-Taliban direct talks culminating in the Peace Agreement of 29 February 2020.

He stressed that the Afghan leadership must seize this historic opportunity and work together through intra-Afghan negotiations to achieve a comprehensive and inclusive peace settlement. He reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to support Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process as part of a shared responsibility for durable peace and security in Afghanistan.

Bilateral trade and investment relations and cooperation in green technologies also came under discussion. In this regard, the Foreign Minister thanked Denmark for its support in securing renewal of GSP Plus status for Pakistan in the European Union.

The two foreign ministers agreed to remain engaged on all matters of mutual interest. Foreign Minister Qureshi invited the Danish Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan once the corona pandemic subsides, which he accepted with pleasure.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40002544/pakistan-takes-up-suspension-of-flights-to-easa

 

[MenInG]

RAWALPINDI: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Monday wrote a letter to its 32 member countries regarding alleged “fraud related to pilot licences issued in Pakistan” and recommended not to “schedule such pilots” for flight operations.

The EASA said: “You may be aware of the information available in the public domain indicating that a sizable portion (approximately 40%) of airline pilot licences issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) are either falsified and or otherwise not ICAO compliant.”

The letter added: “It is a grave concern. As operators could fly to Europe, under a TCO authorisation issued by EASA with pilots holding validated Pakistani licences, we would like to share with you the measures taken by EASA in relation to alleged irregularities on pilot licences issued by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).”

The EASA recommended to aviation authorities of the 32 member states to consider the suspension of validations issued against Pakistani licences and notified the recommendation of PCAA.

CAA suspends commercial flying licences of 34 PIA pilots

“Should your organisation currently employ pilots holding valid Pakistani licences, we would appreciate it if you could share with us any measures taken or planned in this regard be informed to the EASA,” the agency said in the letter to its member countries.

The agency’s air operations oversight section recommended to its 32 member countries “not to schedule such pilots for operations performed under your Third Country Operators (TCO) authorisation”.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Tuesday suspended commercial flying licences of 34 PIA pilots after inquiries against them were completed regarding ‘dubious’ licences.

A letter issued by the CAA additional director licensing informed the PIA’s director flight operations and others concerned that the commercial pilot licences of 34 pilots, including a female pilot, had been suspended.

The credibility of the CAA and PIA has been on stake after the International Air Transport Association expressed concern over the “serious lapse in the licensing and safety oversight by the aviation regulator”.

Amid the crisis, the PIA management grounded its 150 (one-third of its) pilots and started relieving them from flight rosters for allegedly possessing ‘dubious licences’, while asking the CAA to urgently provide the list of all those PIA pilots who allegedly had fake/suspicious commercial pilot licences.

The controversy drew world attention after federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said in the National Assembly that 150 pilots of the national flag carrier had fake licences.

The aviation minister had also revealed that show-cause notices had been served on 30 pilots and they would also be suspended after completion of an inquiry while their dismissal will be decided by the federal cabinet.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1567593/e...-not-to-schedule-pilots-holding-fake-licences

 

[MenInG]

Ghulam Sarwar, Federal Minister for Aviation said that they initiated scrutiny process within Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) after a suo moto notice was taken by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on the matter.

The Aviation Minister said that “658 employees within PIA are found carrying forged degrees,” further adding that these also include 28 pilots and 96 engineers.

“Action is taken against 54 pilots of which 28 are expelled from the service and criminal proceedings will be launched against them,” he said adding that they have also received lists of pilots working abroad and verification of their credentials is ongoing. It is pertinent to mention here that European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Tuesday apprised its third country operators regarding the issue of fraudulent licenses of Pakistani pilots and asked its members states to take action against pilots holding Pakistani licenses.

The EASA has written a letter to its 32 member countries regarding alleged “fraud related to pilot licences issued in Pakistan” and recommended not to schedule such pilots for flight operations.

The decision came after the Pakistan’s Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan revealed that 262 active commercial pilots hold ‘dubious’ flying licences. Following the announcement, PIA also grounded 141 pilots, Pakistani media reported.

The EASA also announced to suspend PIA’s authorisation to operate to the EU member states for a period of 6 months effective July 1.

https://dailytimes.com.pk/638105/pakistan-to-appeal-against-easa-flight-ban-soon-announces-sarwar/

 

[Firebat]

Shehbaz holds aviation minister's 'mindless' speech in NA responsible for PIA bans

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan responsible for the ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) by several countries, including the US and the UK.

"The ban on PIA imposed by several countries, with the US being the latest, is a consequence of mindless & ill-thought-out speech by [the] aviation minister who only wanted to evade responsibility.

"Look at what he has done to the entire aviation industry besides bringing [a] bad name to Pakistan!" he said.

On June 30, the aviation minister had disclosed in parliament that 150 pilots working for the national carrier had 'dubious licences'. He had made the remarks while presenting the initial report of the PIA May 22 plane crash.

On Thursday, the United States transport authority became the latest among a number of countries to revoke permission granted to PIA to operate a number of special direct flights to the US.

The authorisation was revoked "due to recent events identified by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority that are of serious concern to aviation safety, specifically matters pertaining to the proper certification of certain Pakistani pilots", according to an email sent to PIA officials by a US-based law firm, seen by Dawn.com.

Earlier, the European Union and British aviation authorities had barred the airline from flying to their airports for at least six months.

Meanwhile, the aviation regulators of several other countries have sought verification of the credentials of Pakistani pilots and engineers working for them.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1568159/s...indless-speech-in-na-responsible-for-pia-bans

 

[MenInG]

RAWALPINDI: As the Pakistan aviation regulator and the national flag carrier grapple with the credibility crisis that hit the institutions last month, a threat of a ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights in the airspace of Oman looms large as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) assured them that credentials of all pilots had been scrutinised to ensure flight safety.

While expressing concern over the recent safety issue with the PIA, the Omani Civil Aviation Authority warned Pakistan that the national flag carrier could be barred from using its airspace, sources said. They added that the Omani authorities also asked Islamabad to explain what curative measures had been taken to ensure safety of flights.

Earlier, the European Union Air Safety Agency suspended PIA authorisation to operate to the EU member states for six months, while the International Air Transport Association (IATA) also shared its concern over the serious lapse in the licensing and safety oversight by the aviation regulator.

The Pakistan CAA explained to the Omani Civil Aviation Authority that credentials of all pilots, who were allowed to fly, had been scrutinised before they had been declared fit to fly, the sources said. The Omani authorities were further informed that the scrutiny of pilots was initiated by the Pakistani authorities on the directive of the Supreme Court of Pakistan a couple of years ago, the sources explained.

“As the PTI government came into power, the process of scrutiny was paced up but our pilot licences are never faked. Sometimes there are only validity issues. There had been anomaly in the examinations after which those pilots were grounded in the light of a forensic report,” a source said, adding that all the PIA pilots who continued to fly aircraft had been cleared after scrutiny and they all were well-experienced.

Amid the aviation crisis, seven other countries where Pakistani pilots had been employed with different airlines had asked Islamabad to verify their credentials.

While the Omani CAA did not officially send any specific list of Pakistani pilots employed there to verify their credentials, the authorities only asked Islamabad to explain what curative measures had been taken to ensure the safety of flights as why not the PIA should be barred from using the Oman’s airspace.

28 pilots’ licences cancelled

Meanwhile, the commercial flying licence of 28 Pakistani pilots have been cancelled. They had been traced to have ‘dubious’ licences in 2018. After legal formalities, they would be terminated from service by the airline.

Of the 262 ‘dubious’ licence holders, 34 pilots had been suspended by the aviation division. Twenty four other pilots were suspended on Saturday, while sources said 30 to 40 pilots were expected to be suspended within the next few days.

The aviation crisis in Pakistan has caught world attention after the federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar in the National Assembly had declared that 150 pilots of the national flag carrier had been having dubious licences.

Seven countries given verification

The sources said the CAA had already cleared credentials of 142 Pakistani pilots employed in different countries and sent confirmations to the aviation authorities of those seven countries, including Malaysia.

“CAAM is pleased to inform that Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has been very cooperative in our request on the verification of the Pakistani pilot licence holders who are currently employed in Malaysia. So far, less than 20 names have been sent to PCAA and those pilot license holders have been verified by PCAA to be valid licences,” a public relations officer at CAAM said in an email reply.

Besides the CAAM, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia had also asked the Pakistan government to verify the licence of five Pakistani pilots serving there. All the five Pakistani pilots employed in Ethiopia had been cleared by the Pakistan CAA.

Some Pakistani pilots have also been serving with different airlines in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

A senior official of the CAA told Dawn that all the requests that Islamabad received till Monday for verification of Pakistani pilots’ licences had been fulfilled. All the pilots working in those countries had been cleared, the official said, adding that the verification of those pilots serving in Pakistan would be completed within one week.

Reuters adds: In a related development, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) early on Tuesday downgraded Pakistan’s air safety rating after the agency raised concerns about pilot certifications.

The decision, disclosed on an FAA spreadsheet dated July 15 that was posted on an agency website and confirmed by an agency official, means the US air safety agency determined Pakistan does not achieve international standards and now has a Category 2 rating.

The Pakistani embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The new rating means Pakistan airlines could be subject to additional inspections at US airports and could not add additional flights.

On Friday, the US Department of Transportation said it had revoked permission for PIA to conduct charter flights to the United States.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1568808/threat-of-omani-airspace-ban-looms-over-pia

 

[MenInG]

RAWALPINDI: Federal Minister for Aviation Ghu*lam Sarwar has announced that Pakistan will appeal against the restrictions of European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA).

“We will solve the safety issues raised by EASA and we had two months to app*eal against the restrictions. PIA planes will fly in the Eur*opean countries soon,” said the minister while talking to journalists here at the PTI regional public secretariat in Saddar on Saturday.

The EASA had temporarily suspended PIA’s authorisation to operate to the EU member states for a period of six months, effective from July 1, with the right to appeal against the decision, after the aviation minister declared in the National Assembly that the licences of 150 PIA pilots were dubious.

Mr Sarwar told the pre*sser that the government was arranging charter pla*nes for overseas Pakistanis in European countries. “Despite the restrictions, PIA flights are being operated for Canada,” he added.

Minister says charter flights being arranged for overseas Pakistanis in Europe

In reply to a question regarding his claim about the dubious credentials of the pilots, the minister said 28 pilots had been sacked, while a total of 219 pilots had been grounded and 191 suspended so far. He said those pilots were not rec*ru*ited by the PTI government, which was making efforts to clean the mess created by previous governments. He vowed to restore the glory of the national flag carrier as the world’s best airline soon.

Amid the pandemic, not just the domestic air operations had been restored but also many concessions had been announced for the passengers with an increase in the luggage limit from 50kg to 73kg per passenger.

As part of Independence Day celebrations, the minister said, PIA announced 14 per cent discount for all travellers.

Talking about the ill-fated A-320 PIA aircraft crash in Karachi, the minister said the insurance amount for each passenger was Rs5 million but the government managed to get it increased while Rs1 million had already been paid to the heirs of each passenger.

Mr Sarwar also shared details of some social development projects for which the federal government had allocated Rs560 billion.

Rawalpindi’s ring road project

While calling the Rawalpindi’s ring road project as the biggest development project of the city, the aviation minister said Rs6bn had been allocated for acquisition of land for the project that would be initiated during the current financial year. He disclosed that the process of land acquisition would begin after the upcoming month of Muharram. He added that the project would be completed at a cost of Rs55 billion. He explained the 64-km-long road would connect Radio Pakistan, Rawat on G.T. Road with Margalla Road at Sangjani (N-5) via new Islamabad airport.

He said Rs500 million would be spent on a 60-bed hospital to be built on 96-kanal land in Jorian at Chakri.

The minister also recalled that over Rs160 billion financial assistance had been given to 13 million families during Covid-19 pandemic. He added that the country’s coronavirus situation improved due to the effective policies of the government. He expressed the hope all the businesses would reopen from August 10 and all things would soon become normal.

He also said he did not see any political change in Punjab and all the things would remain normal.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1573429/pakistan-to-appeal-against-eu-air-agency-restrictions

 

[MenInG]

EU has its own issues:

===


An easyJet flight carrying 167 passengers to the UK was one second away from disaster after the pilots misjudged the runway's length by almost a mile.

The Airbus A320 took off from Lisbon Airport with just 110m (361ft) of tarmac remaining after the crew members used the wrong calculations for the runway they used.

Based on the speed it was travelling, in another 1.3 seconds the aircraft would have reached the end of the runway, according to a report by the Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB).

"This could have caused significant damage to the aircraft and its occupants," the report said.

Before the flight to Manchester took-off on 16 September, the pilots carried out calculations for runway 21 at Lisbon Airport but mistakenly used the full length of the runway to make their assessment, according to the AAIB.

Instead, the pilots should have used measurements from the intersection on the runway which they used - a difference of 1,395m (4,577ft) from the full length of the runway, it added.

This meant that when the aircraft was cleared for take-off, the wrong calculations were used to get the plane airborne and threatened the safety of the aircraft, the AAIB said.

According to the report, the pilots noticed there was something wrong as they saw the red and white alternate lights of the last 900m (2953ft) of the runway but they did not select takeoff/go-around thrust.

The fence at the end of the runway was cleared by the aircraft by just 35ft (10.6m).

Both pilots were "interrupted numerous times during the pre‑flight preparation", which the report says contributed to the mistakes they made.

It was not the first time this has happened at the airport, with two similar incidents within two weeks of each other in April and May 2019.

A number of changes were made to the labelling of the runway in December and in January, a recommendation was made to "discontinue the use of takeoff positions... [to] minimise confusion concerning takeoff points".

An easyJet spokesperson said: "The pilots followed normal procedures for take-off and the flight took off without incident.

"The safety of our passengers and crew is always our highest priority and we will always take action to ensure we maintain the highest standards of safety.

"We continue to work with industry partners to review possible technical developments, including software updates referenced in the report that we have already taken action on, to help prevent a recurrence of these types of events."

https://news.sky.com/story/easyjet-...nway-by-nearly-a-mile-report-reveals-12048260

 

[MenInG]

TAXILA: European skies are expected to open for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in the next two months as the government is utilising all technical and diplomatic means to resolve the ban issue, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said on Friday.

“PIA is in contact with European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) to allay their concerns and take necessary corrective measures along with filing an appeal against the decision on Aug 31,” Mr Khan said, adding there is room for the appeal against the EASA ban and the government will file it.

The EUSA suspended PIA’s authorisation to operate in EU states after the grounding of 262 Pakistani pilots whose licences were termed “dubious”.

Following the EASA’s move, the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority also withdrew PIA’s permit to operate from three of its airports in Birmingham, London and Manchester.

Responding to a question, the minister said PIA was currently managing European flight operations through “court sharing” arrangements, under which PIA flies passengers to Istanbul and subsequently they travel to Europe and London. Flight operations to London are being carried out through a Portuguese airliner.

However, he said, these were temporary arrangements and PIA would restore its flight operations in two months.

When asked about the necessity of grounding PIA pilots, he said, steps being taken by the government were aimed at ensuring the highest level of flight safety in PIA operations. The national carrier remains committed to maintaining the highest standards and quality in its air operations, he added.

Earlier, the minister inaugurated the city’s first D-class bus terminal in Taxila.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1574422/pia-flights-to-europe-likely-to-restart-in-two-months

 

[MenInG]

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is likely to lodge an appeal with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Thursday against suspension of its flight operations to and from European Union member states for six months.

The decision to suspend the PIA’s flight operations — in the wake of Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan’s disclosure during a speech in the National Assembly about the grounding of 262 pilots whose commercial flying licences were found ‘suspicious’ — was enforced on July 1.

According to sources, the appeal has been prepared by the PIA and the authorities concerned and it will be presented to the Aviation Division before lodging it with the EASA.

The sources said that after the issue of pilots’ suspicious licences came to light and the EASA suspended authorisation of PIA flights to and from the EU member countries, the agency asked the Pakistani authorities to clarify 11 points — safety management system (SMS) being the most important one.

The EASA also asked as to how the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA) had been functioning, how it issued commercial pilot licences to applicants and how the candidates solved their examination papers.

The sources said the EASA had also asked about the number of aircraft being operated by the national flag carrier and how the airline maintained safety measures.

The appeal to be lodged with the EASA also contained details of major airplane crashes occurred in Pakistan over the past five years and the safety measures taken by the authorities to prevent such incidents in future, the sources added.

The EASA has demanded implementation of the safety management system in the PIA which is acquiring the best system in the world. The PIA is also planning to add eight to 10 aircraft to its fleet or replace old planes with better and new ones.

According to the sources, before lodging the appeal with the EASA, the PIA will give a presentation in the Aviation Division.

The PIA has also been preparing a comprehensive business plan in consultation with international consultants, but it has been temporarily stopped due to the ongoing crisis in the aviation industry which has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before the EASA suspended the PIA flights on July 1, the airline was given an opportunity to voice its opinion on the agency’s intentions to suspend the authorisation. The PIA provided its opinion, but it was declared insufficient by the EASA.

Following the PIA plane crash in Karachi on May 22 and the initial findings laid down in the preliminary inquiry report showing successive breaches of multiple layers of safety defences in the safety management system, the EASA had expressed concern over the PIA’s safety management system which, it said, was not achieving its primary objective.

The PIA hopes that with the reparative and swift actions taken by the government and the airline management, the suspension of flight operations to the EU member states is likely to be lifted soon.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1576174/pia-to-file-appeal-for-resumption-of-flights-to-eu-countries

 

[MenInG]

RAWALPINDI: Amid the aviation crisis, the Pakistan International Airlines management has decided not to lodge an appeal against the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) suspension of the PIA flights to and from the EU member states as the two-month deadline for filing the appeal expired on Aug 30.

The decision was taken in the wake of a scheduled visit to Pakistan of the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) team on Sept 7 to assess the operational management and control systems of the PIA. According to sources, the IATA-designated safety audit team is expected to stay here for five days.

During the visit, the PIA management believes, they would be in a better position to convince the team about the safety measures and fulfil all the requirements set forth by the international body pertaining to the national flag carrier.

On June 30, the EASA had written a letter to the PIA, informing the latter that apart from the pending issue of implementing safety management tools in the airline’s flight operation within the stipulated time, it had suspended authorisation of PIA flights to and from the EU member countries for six months effective from July 1. However, the EASA said an appeal against the suspension of authorisation could be filed in writing within two months.

The two-month period ended on Aug 30.

Related: Credibility crisis hits PIA, CAA over ‘dubious licences’ of pilots

The Operational Safety Audit is carried out after every two years. The last such audit was carried out in 2018. The audit programme was designed by the IATA in 2003 to assess the operational management and control systems of airlines.

The IATA had expressed concern over the “serious lapse in the licensing and safety oversight by the aviation regulator”. Besides the IATA, the EASA had also expressed concern after the PIA flight PK-8303 crash in Karachi on May 22, followed by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan’s June 24 disclosure in parliament on that licences of 262 of the 850 pilots “suspicious”.

The sources said the PIA management also informed the Aviation Division that they had decided not to lodge an appeal with the EASA against the suspension of authorisation of PIA flights as they had consulted all stakeholders, taken input from them and legal experts who also advised them to wait for the visit of IATA’s safety audit team. They said the PIA management would be in a better position to show the IATA audit team all safety measures they had pointed out and would convince them to withdraw their decision to suspend the PIA flights.

The sources said the EASA had asked the Pakistani authorities to clarify 11 points — safety management system (SMS) being the most important one.

The EASA also asked as to how the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA) had been functioning, how it issued commercial pilot licences to applicants and how the candidates solved their examination papers.

When contacted, PIA spokesman Abdulah Hafeez Khan he said: “We are in continuous talks with the United Kingdom and European Union authorities to get this suspension lifted and have engaged one of the biggest aviation firms to assist PIA in this regard.”

The spokesman said that in order to retain its foothold in the market, the PIA resumed its flights to the UK through alternative arrangements with better products which would continue till the time the direct flights permission was given. He said the PIA was hopeful that the suspension would be lifted soon.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1577319/pia-not-to-file-appeal-against-flights-suspension

 

[MenInG]

RAWALPINDI: The European Commission has decided to retain the ban on Pakistan International Airlines operations in its member countries and asked the country’s aviation authorities to remove safety deficiencies and improve the whole process of issuing licences to commercial pilots.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had suspended the authorisation for the PIA to operate in European Union member countries for six months in July 2020.

The EASA ban was soon followed by similar action by the UK and US aviation authorities, crippling the PIA which was already suffering in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis. The EU had also put Pakistan on notice showing concern over the issue of pilots’ licences citing the aviation minister’s speech on the floor of parliament that one third of Pakistani pilots had suspicious licences.

The EU Air Safety Committee (ASC) met on November 17 and 18 in Brussels to update the list of airlines whose operations had been banned by the European Commission.

Spokesperson says national flag carrier has been working hard to comply with EASA observations

Following the unanimous opinion of the ASC, the European Commission formally adopted on Thursday a regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 474/2006 of March 22, 2006, establishing the list of air carriers, which are subject to an operating ban within the EU.

A copy of the list may be accessed at the following website: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban/index_en.html

A letter sent to former secretary of aviation Hasan Nasir Jamy said the situation of the air carriers certified in Pakistan was examined during the ASC meeting. An excerpt of the regulation with the recitals pertaining to Pakistan was attached with the letter.

The European Commission reported to the ASC about the technical meetings held on July 9 and 25 September 25 and the numerous correspondences received between the end of June and November from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).

The EU said that the ASC deliberations confirmed a continued concern over the measures taken by the PCAA in terms of a proper root cause analysis and suitable corrective measures to prevent re-occurrence of the same or similar safety deficiencies.

According to the EU, concern persists about PCAA safety deficiencies, not only on the pilot licencing areas but on the whole licencing and authorisation processes, application and oversight of safety management systems and the establishment of the occurrence reporting system, among others.

It said it had also been recognised that the PCAA was making significant efforts to put in place and enforce some corrective measures to address the identified safety situation in Pakistan.

The European Commission and the ASC have noted the willingness of the PCAA to react to the case of the fraudulent licenses, and also appreciated its transparency and openness in recognising the deficiencies.

“In view of this, it has been decided not to make any changes to the list of air carriers subject to an operating ban with respect to air carriers certified in Pakistan,” the EASA said.

It urged the PCAA to maintain regular contact with the European Commission to keep it informed of the further actions to respond to and deal with the safety concerns.

The former aviation secretary was also informed that the European Commission would continue its monitoring and assessment of how the situation developed further, and this might include a visit to Pakistan when travel conditions would permit it.

The letter said the European Commission would remain committed to working closely with the PCAA to solve in a sustainable manner the identified safety issues with a view to achieving common objective of a safe international aviation system, while at the same time ensuring that any current safety risks were adequately contained.

On the other hand, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, in its letter to PIA Corporation Limited, said the agency had reviewed the material provided by the PIA regarding safety management system and found it satisfactory and sufficient as a fist important step.

The EASA said it would conduct an audit of the third country operator when it would consider the lifting of a suspension of PIA operations when the conditions were met. However, the conditions have not been met yet.

The EASA said in particular the investigation conducted by European Commission on the issuance of professional licenses was still ongoing which indicated that there was a possibility the audit would not have the expected positive results.

Commenting on the EC ban on air carriers certified in Pakistan, the PIA spokesman said that PIA had been working hard to comply with EASA observations as these were unprecedented times.

He said in routine things were taken differently but with added pressure of a ban, synergistic efforts were being made to adhere to the minutest of details.

He said: “Now we are eagerly awaiting regulatory compliance so that we could resume our flights to one of our most productive sectors.”

PIA closes offices

The PIA has closed its all offices in interior of Sindh that had no clients travelling across the country.

PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez said that the bulk of PIA operations was shifting to the northern areas, Islamabad and Lahore with most of PIA flights now originating from there and adjoining areas such as Peshawer, Swat, Mardan, Nowshera, Charsada, Rawalpindi, Gujar Khan and Jhelum belt, Kharian and Sialkot belt. Hence the major required staff is to be placed in Islamabad.

He said that there was no point in retaining a large work force in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2020

https://www.dawn.com/news/1593904/european-union-retains-ban-on-pia-flights

 

[shaz619]

[MENTION=139150]aliasad1998[/MENTION] when you went to gilgit, did you catch a PIA flight or travelled on the road?

 

[marlonbrowndo]

[MENTION=139150]aliasad1998[/MENTION] when you went to gilgit, did you catch a PIA flight or travelled on the road?

Drove from Islamabad. Flew back to Islamabad. The flight is pretty short and exciting

 

[shaz619]

Drove from Islamabad. Flew back to Islamabad. The flight is pretty short and exciting

Did you have any reservations, I was watching Mark Weins series on Pak street food and was like it's probably not an easy place to land in but definitely a little easier leaving Gilgit by plane.

 

[MenInG]

TAXILA: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) concerns about the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have been addressed, said Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said on Saturday, hoping that the ban imposed on PIA to operate flights to and from European countries would be lifted soon.

Addressing the media in Taxila, the federal minister said eight new planes are being added to the national airlines and the EU’s concerns raised regarding the process of issuing licences to commercial pilots have been addressed.

Read more: European Union ban on PIA flights to remain after some conditions still 'not met'

The suspension imposed by Easa took effect on July 1, 2020, after it came to light that countless pilots possessed "fake" licences.

The ban was a big blow to PIA, which was already under scrutiny across the world due to the recently uncovered pitfalls within Pakistan's aviation industry.

In December, however, Easa had expressed its satisfaction over certain steps taken by the Civil Aviation Authority to improve the situation. Easa had said a further audit by the agency's officials was imperative to revoke the ban.

The startling revelations came as the aviation minister presented the interim report on the probe into the May 22 PIA plane crash.

Following the report, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had expressed concern over the "serious lapse in-licensing and safety oversight by the aviation regulator".

Read more: PIA decides not to appeal EU flight ban

Criticising opposition leaders and its anti-government coalition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Sarwar said that PDM's tactics will not hinder the process of accountability.

He said that PDM is increasing pressure to bargain and the Opposition wants an amendment to the NAB rules. “Most people of PPP will not resign. A group within PML-N will also not resign,” he claimed.

He went on to add that the Opposition just wants a show of hands to avoid horse-trading in the Senate elections.

Source GEO

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: A day after Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan expressed hopes that the ban imposed on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate flights in Europe would be lifted soon, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) informed the national flag carrier that the ban had been extended by three months and that it would not be reviewed until a safety audit of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), it emerged on Saturday.

Only on Friday, the aviation minister had told reporters in Taxila that most concerns of EASA regarding the process of issuing licences to commercial pilots had been addressed and soon the ban imposed on PIA flights in European countries would be lifted.

However, a senior PIA official confirmed to Dawn that PIA had received a disappointing message in response to a request made by the airline.

He said that the national carrier had asked the European agency to give its provisional permission to operate flights to and from European destinations since it had met several conditions.

Request for permission to operate flights in European countries declined; ban extended for three months

“We have asked EASA that they can conduct a safety audit of PIA, free from CAA, and in the meantime grant us provisional permission,” he said, adding that in response the agency said it could not issue such a permission.

The EASA letter says: “Reg*arding the lack of confidence in certification and oversight activities performed by the Pakistani CAA, which was the second aspect that led to the suspension of Third Country Operator Authorisation, the investigation performed by the European Commission and by the ICAO have not yet been concluded.

“Consequently, as all preconditions to lift the suspension are not met and, as an audit will be necessary, the agency decided not to revoke your Third Country Operator Authorisation but to extend the suspension period by additional three months....”

The official explained that the ban was not on PIA per se but on the state of Pakistan and it would not be lifted until the regulator brought reforms to the satisfaction of EASA.

Sources said that PIA was in constant touch with the European agency and had provided it necessary documents as evidence regarding the implementation of the agreed corrective action plan. EASA had told PIA that it found the documents satisfactory but linked the lifting of the ban with meeting certain conditions that primarily related to the CAA because of the ‘fake’ pilots’ licence issue.

EASA told PIA it was investigating the issue of ‘fake’ pilots’ licences and it would review the ban after an audit but added that its officials could not visit Pakistan because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Taking advantage of ban
The EASA ban is not only causing a huge financial loss to PIA, it is also giving an opportunity to foreign airlines to expand their operations.

Earlier this month, British airline Virgin Atlantic launched its direct flight operations for Islamabad and Lahore while British Airways had already expanded its operations from Islamabad to Lahore.

EASA had in July suspended the authorisation for PIA to operate flights in the EU member states for six months due to safety concerns after the aviation minister, while making public the preliminary report of the May 22 air crash, told parliament that 262 Pakistani pilots possessed dubious licences.

The curbs were extended later as EASA was not fully satisfied by the measures taken to improve the process of issuing the licences as well as other safety matters.

The European agency had given PIA the right to appeal against its decision in two months but its Air Marshal Arshad Malik-led management decided not to lodge the appeal because of the visit of a team of International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) to assess the operational management and control systems of the airline.

The IOSA team visited the country in September and its focus was on PIA’s flight operations and its passenger service, engineering, etc.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2020

https://www.dawn.com/news/1598072/eu-ban-wont-be-lifted-before-caa-audit-pia-told

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Despite Prime Minister Imran Khan admitting that the issue of fake licenses in the national carrier was mishandled, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan has refused to accept the responsibility that his statements have made matters worse for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

Talking to Shahzeb Khanzada on Geo News’ Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath show on Wednesday, Ghulam Sarwar Khan attempted to downplay the matter by saying that every airline in the world was suffering losses.

However, Khanzada reminded the PTI minister that the airlines enduring losses due to the coronavirus pandemic bringing the travel industry to a halt. The PIA, on the other hand, is facing bans due to the fake license controversy.

On December 26, the aviation minister told reporters that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had been satisfied. “Responding to PIA letter dated December 21, the EASA extended the ban for three months on December 24 and said it would not be reviewed until a safety audit of the Civil Aviation Authority was conducted,” pointed out the host.

To this, Ghulam Sarwar Khan said the PIA had a satisfactory score of “97.6%” which was considered “great”. But Khanzada stressed that the national carrier may have satisfied the EASA but the ban remained due to the minister’s statements.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan insisted that his steps should be appreciated. “Should we not have taken any action? You should appreciate that someone is taking initiative. Our transparency should be appreciated.”

Khanzada added that the attorney general of Pakistan had also admitted before the Islamabad High Court that the issue was mishandled.

It may be mentioned here that the aviation minister first revealed the fake license matter while briefing the Parliament on a plane crash.

Subsequently, the aviation minister announced that the qualifications of 262 pilots in Pakistan are "dubious" and thus they will be barred from flying. He said that a total of 753 pilots are serving in Pakistani airlines, while 107 are serving in foreign airlines bringing the number to 860.

However, further investigations revealed that 182 out of the 262 pilots have valid credentials.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency or EASA has extended the travel restrictions imposed on Pakistan for an indefinite period, giving a final warning to the Civil Aviation Authority to have its safety audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in summer 2021 – an essential requirement which has not been met since 2009.

The situation aggravated last year in May when a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft crashed in Karachi’s Model Colony area in which 97 of the 99 passengers were killed. Investigation into the incident opened a Pandora’s Box. The licences of pilots were called into question with Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar taking action against the ones holding fake degrees.

The untoward situation forced the EASA in July 2020 to place a six-month ban on flights from Pakistan over safety concerns. The travel restrictions were extended in December 2020 for a period of three months, which ended in March 2021.

The EASA issued a letter in response to the CAA and PIA’s request to lift the ban and use only flight crew and engineers that do not hold Pakistani licences.

According to the letter, “In accordance with ART 235(b) of Part-ART, following an initial suspension period of six months, the agency decided to extend this suspension for an additional three-month period. This extended suspension period expired on March 31, 2021.”

It stated, “At this moment, the agency therefore considers that not all conditions required to lift the suspension are met. Hence, according with ART 235(c) (1) of Part-ART, EASA should now revoke the Third Country Operator Authorisation (TCOA).

“However, in view of the ICAO audit of Pakistan planned in summer 2021, the ongoing technical consultations with the PCAA and due to the exceptional circumstances arising from the current Covid-19 crisis and the consequent travel restrictions, EASA opts not to revoke your TCOA but to further extend the suspension period until all necessary information is available to decide on the way forward.”

On the use of only flight crew and engineers that do not hold Pakistani licences, the EASA replied, “The offer does not fully mitigate all concerns regarding the oversight capabilities of the CAA.”

A PIA source, on the condition of anonymity, said, “A total of 58 weekly flights used to fly to the EU countries, of which, 46 went to the United Kingdom, while 12 to other European states.”

The source said suspension of flights was “causing a monthly loss of Rs2.20 billion to the national flag carrier”. The nine-month-long ban has resulted in a total loss of Rs19 billion.

The EASA stated, “In February 2021, the ICAO made public a Significant Safety Concern for Pakistan. This is an indication of a serious degradation of the CAA certification and oversight capabilities.

“Such information shall be taken into consideration by EASA when lifting the suspension.”

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2293571/caa-safety-audit-vital-to-resume-flights-eu-body

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: After passing of one year, hopes for lifting of a ban on all Pakistan-registered aircraft to enter European Union member states as well as the United Kingdom have been eroded after the global aviation watchdog delayed this month’s scheduled safety audit of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for an unspecified period, it emerged on Tuesday.

In July 2020, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had suspended the third country operator authorisation of the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines, to operate flights in the EU member states for six months due to safety concerns against the backdrop of the May 22 Karachi plane crash and the subsequent damning statement of Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan that 40 per cent of Pakistani pilots possessed dubious licences.

While the EASA ban is on the state of Pakistan because the aviation minister used preliminary findings of an ongoing investigation to point an accusing finger towards the oversight role of the CAA in testing and licensing of pilots, it’s the PIA that has borne the brunt of the ban the most being the only Pakistani airline at that time operating flights to EU states and the United Kingdom.

While the PIA tried its best to get provisional permission to operate flights in EU states, the EASA in December extended the ban for additional three months and made it clear that it would not be lifted without the safety audit of the CAA by the aviation watchdog International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The suspension was extended again from April for an indefinite period and EASA linked any development with the ICAO’s safety audit of the CAA.

Doubts over CAA’s seriousness

The CAA said the ICAO’s visit to Pakistan was earlier scheduled in the first week of July, but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 situation in the country.

“We are working with ICAO...their visit to Pakistan was planned for July but it was postponed because of (Covid-19) pandemic, etc. We hope their visit would take place somewhere in October or November if the pandemic situation in the country gets improved,” CAA director general Khaqan Murtaza recently told an online forum.

Aviation sources, however, cast doubts over the seriousness of the regulator in being audited.

“They [CAA authorities] are still pushing ICAO audit from July last year to December, to March to July, then November [2021] and now we don’t have a tentative date,” said a source.

“Covid is not the only reason of the audit getting pushed back because during the same period PIA got audited by IATA [International Air Transport Association] and IOSA [IATA Operational Safety Audit]. These are periodic audits that one cannot and should not miss,” the source added.

Officials said that the CAA did not get its biyearly ICAO audit for the past many years. “It has been getting it postponed ever since. CAA bosses say that the people who got the last audit conducted were retired without sharing any knowledge. It’s not good for international bodies who demand reforms so that the system is not breached regardless who is at the helm of affairs,” said an official.

Besides, the sources said, the CAA was not losing much revenue because of the EASA ban, as the space vacated by PIA was immediately filled up by the British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, who are making equal amount of landing/parking charges to the regulator.

Exams outsourcing hits snags

The aviation sources told Dawn that the real problem lied in the CAA’s testing and licensing system as the global aviation industry as well as the ICAO lost trust following the aviation minister’s statement and subsequent investigations into the fake pilots’ licences saga.

They said the CAA had decided to outsource the conduct of all licensing exams, including commercial/airline transport pilot licence (CPL/ATPL), to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) to address the concerns of ICAO and EASA.

They said the process was supposed to be completed by April, but till now it had not been finalised. For the past one year, all CPL/ATPL tests remained suspended following the aviation minister’s statement.

According to the CAA, it is in consultation with the UK CAA and trying to have a framework agreement but it would take two to three months after signing of the agreement and sorting out modalities.

However, the sources said the CAA went ahead with its outsourcing move without completing required formalities and now the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) had raised objections on the way exams were being outsourced without following proper procurement procedures.

The sources said that after the fake licences issue, the CAA instead of quickly fixing the challenges and coming out clean, first hid behind prosecuting the culprits and then went without planning and approval of outsourcing the licensing exams.

“A new system development could have done it, but they took nearly a year to decide what to do and then are in a limbo because proper procedures were not followed,” said another source.

Ban causing huge revenue loss

The sources said that PIA has been suffering huge revenue losses due to the EASA curbs for the past one year. It has made some alternatives arrangements to continue its flight operations to Europe and the UK via third party, but it could not mitigate the revenue losses due to the ban.

A senior PIA official, requesting anonymity, told Dawn that the revenue loss was around Rs17bn during the one-year period. However, the total loss from the UK and European routes is estimated at around Rs2bn.

The losses could have been greater, but the PIA hired a Portuguese firm to keep on operating on the UK and Paris routes with charter flights.

“We could have never been in this mess had the aviation minister spoken wisely in the parliament a year ago,” lamented a former CAA chief, who asked not to be named.

“He [the minister] said licences of 262 pilots were fake, but the investigations proved that all licences were genuine and the discrepancies were in some written tests that a licensed pilot takes for upgrade. The CAA cancelled licences of 50 pilots and suspended 32 others. This is nowhere near the minister’s figure of 262 pilots,” he said.

About the unpreparedness of the CAA in being audited, he said that the incumbent and previous governments chose to run the CAA on an ad hoc basis as they wanted to bifurcate the authority to privatise airports and other assets.

“Bringing improvement or even appointment of a dedicated director general was never on their agenda. Hence the mess,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2021

 

[transparent opacity]

EU ban on PIA flights may be lifted soon

RAWALPINDI: The ban imposed by the European Union on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations is expected to be lifted soon, as the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) validation committee has cleared a safety audit report after which the Significant Safety Concerns (SSC) will be gradually eased out.

“Yes, the ICAO has informed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that the safety audit conducted by its team recently was presented before its validation committee, which cleared it after which the SSC will be removed and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency will lift the ban,” CAA Director General Khaqan Murtaza told the participants of a meeting of the Senate Sub-Committee on Aviation on Wednesday.

He further said that until the CAA received the approval, the PIA would not be able to resume flight operations to the EU.

An ICAO audit team that had visited Pakistan to undertake a safety audit of the aviation authority completed the process on Dec 10; however, its final report will be released in a few weeks and shared publicly.

The meeting of the sub-committee on aviation was held at Parliament Lodges, Islamabad on Wednesday and convened by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla. It was attended by MNA Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Senator Afnanullah Khan, Senator Aon Abbas, the aviation secretary, Mr Murtaza and other relevant persons.

Mr Abbasi, who was especially invited to the meeting, called for a review of and discussion on amendments to the Civil Aviation Rules of 1994 and National Aviation Policy of 2019.

He said the current aviation policy had nothing to do with aviation as the entire draft lacked points about engineering and how the CAA supported Regular Public Transport (RPT) operations, which was a basic aspect of aviation.

The former prime minister said the CAA land was most expensive in the country due to which it was difficult to install a simulator for training pilots as compared to the UAE where its cost was half of that in Pakistan. He also suggested enhancing the qualification level of new pilots to graduation and that they must possess some experience. He also suggested a separate chapter about RPT in the aviation policy, if the sector was to grow.

The participants of the meeting also discussed the shortcomings in the existing policy and proposed some suggestions regarding customs duties on aircraft parts and reducing the very high operational cost. The unavailability of qualified engineers was also discussed in the meeting.

The CAA director general said aviation policies were being devised, but hardly implemented.

Senator Mandviwalla suggested including facilities for aircrafts on ground and also discussed the issue of the Airport Security Force that, he said, claims to lack security gadgets and other equipment supposed to be provided by the CAA.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1665247/eu-ban-on-pia-flights-may-be-lifted-soon

 

[Hassaan HS]

EU, US re-open to Pakistani airlines after CAA clears ICAO safety audit
Pakistani airlines are likely to soon start operating flights to the US, UK and Europe after the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) cleared a safety audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), it emerged Wednesday.

The ICAO, a United Nations aviation body, had advised Pakistan in September 2020 to carry out prompt corrective action and stop issuing any new pilot licences after it learnt that bogus licenses may have been issued to unscrupulous elements.

The revelation had come following the crash of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft in May last year, which resulted in the deaths of 97 passengers and crew.

Pakistani pilots had faced sanctions after the aviation minister said in the National Assembly that a third of them had dubious or fake licences.

In the wake of the scandal, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had taken serious notice and discontinued TCO (Third Country Operator) Authorisation for Pakistani carriers. The USA had also downgraded Pakistan to category 2, which means no Pakistan origin aircraft was allowed to enter US territory.

In its January 4 letter to DG CAA Khaqan Murtaza, ICAO’s Deputy Director Denis Guindon wrote that the committee conducted the audit in December 2021 and “determined that the actions taken by Pakistan had successfully resolved SSC (Significant Safety Concern).”

“I wish to refer to the Significant Safety Concern (SSC/PEL-01/09-2020/PAK refers) that was issued to Pakistan on 18 September 2020 as well as the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) audit that was conducted by an ICAO team in Pakistan from 29 November to 10 December 2021."

During the audit, the committee reviewed the corrective actions taken and related evidence presented by Pakistan to address the SSC regarding the licensing system of the State, specifically in relation to the examinations conducted by the CAA and by delegated or designated training organizations prior to the issuance of licences and ratings.

“In accordance with the USOAP SSC process, [...] the ICAO SSC Validation Committee reviewed the actions and relevant evidence validated in Pakistan. The Committee determined that the actions taken by Pakistan had successfully resolved SSC,” the letter stated.

The ICAO official also thanked the aviation authority for assistance during the audit mission and reiterated appreciation for the active commitment of Pakistan towards achieving its safety objectives.
CAA approaches UK, EU

On this achievement, the CAA declared this as a historic milestone for Pakistan and appreciated the efforts of the entire regulatory team behind this success.

After passing the safety audit, the PCAA has started contacting UK CAA and European Commission to convey the resolution of safety concerns by ICAO.

The CAA said that it will be emphasised to permit operations of Pakistani registered airlines to UK and Europe at the earliest possible and hoped that permissions will be issued on a fast track basis.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/391671-pa...rate-to-eu-us-as-caa-clears-icao-safety-audit

 

[MenInG]

The Senate Standing Committee on Aviation summoned on Thursday the establishment secretary along with relevant record after a member raised objection to the appointment of the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

During a meeting, chaired by Senator Hidayatullah, the committee was informed that the ban imposed on the Pakistani airlines by the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom were expected to be lifted in three months.

Naseebullah Bazai objected that the appointment of the CAA DG Khaqan Murtaza was not made accordance with the law. He said that according to the record, Khaqan Murtaza did not serve in the “hard areas” – Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan.

He added that the service rules suggested that he should have been posted in hard areas for two years before his appointment as the DG. Murtaza replied that his appointment was in accordance with the law, and asked the senator, if he had any objection, he could call the establishment secretary.

This led to heated exchanges between Senator Bazai and Khaqan Murtaza. However, the chair resolved the matter by summoning the establishment division secretary along with the record of the appointment of the CAA DG.

Later, the aviation secretary told the committee that the sanctions imposed by the EU and the UK were likely to be lifted in three months. He said that the European Commission (EC) and the UK authorities had raised nine objections related to the security paradigm.

A nine-member team of the International Civil Aviation Organisations (ICAO) conducted a rigorous audit of the civil aviation. The ICAO audit asked 900 questions about civil aviation protocols and cleared Pakistan in the audit, the secretary said.

He said that more talks were under way with the European Commission, adding that a meeting with the UK authorities was scheduled for February 1, while another meeting with the European Commission was also on the cards. After the meetings, the private airlines would be allowed to fly to Europe, he said.

The committee chairman said that the attitude of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials at the airports was not appropriate and they had been receiving a lots of complaints in this regard. He asked whether there was any training for the FIA personnel at the airports.

The CAA DG told the committee that FIA had been given 30 counters at the airports but out of them only seven of were manned by the FIA personnel. The chair decided to summon the FIA officials to the next meeting.

Another committee member, Saleem Mandviwala, pointed out the presence of a number of out-of-order planes at Karachi Airport. Karachi Airport had become a junkyard, the senator told the committee. This junk must be thrown away somewhere else, he added.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2339711/eu-uk-ban-on-airlines-may-go-in-three-months

 

[iRfaN_LA]

So now they are saying another 3 months. Few months back they said restrictions will be lifted in March.

The fact that the buffoon aviation minister who caused this whole mess is still around is pathetic.Will we ever get qualified people to do these jobs?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

So now they are saying another 3 months. Few months back they said restrictions will be lifted in March.

The fact that the buffoon aviation minister who caused this whole mess is still around is pathetic.Will we ever get qualified people to do these jobs?

He should have been fired instantly.

 

[MenInG]

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has rejected to lift restrictions on the flight operation of Pakistani aircraft and said that the safety audit of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has no connection with the ban on European routes, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The EASA sent a reply to Pakistan International Airlines’ letter which stated that the European aviation authority decided not to lift the ban on flights of PIA.

It clarified that the ban on PIA flights on European routes has no links with the ICAO safety audit.

It read that EASA and ICAO will further review the performance of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and the European aviation authority will hold consultations with the officials concerned to lift the ban.

For lifting the ban on flights of Pakistani airlines, EASA will also conduct an audit of PCAA before deciding on the end of restrictions.

In its reply, EASA expressed confidence in PIA’s steps for the safety management system and said that an audit could be conducted via a third country.

It further stated that an investigation of the EASA officials is still underway regarding the professionalism licences. The travel activities of EASA staff were restricted due to Covid-19 and an audit will be conducted immediately after improvement in the pandemic situation.

Earlier in the month, it was learnt that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has expressed satisfaction over safety measures from Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The satisfaction with the safety measures from ICAO had led to removing PCAA from the list of the safety significant concern (SSC).

The lifting of the SSC on CAA will pave way for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to lift the ban on PIA flights from Pakistan to Europe.

The ICAO during its audit carried out in December 2021 gave PCAA, a ranking of 72.77 per cent.

In July 2020, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had suspended Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations for Europe in June over safety concerns.

The EASA in a letter conveyed to the national flag carrier, said that they had suspended the Third Country Operator (TCO) Authorisation to PIA after it failed to comply with the proposed corrective action plans (CAPs).

It said that six findings were raised with the PIA officials during meetings in June and September 2019, out of which five of the action plans were implemented while one other concerning element of a Safety Management Systems was not implemented.

https://arynews.tv/easa-ban-flight-operation-pakistani-aircraft-pia-audit/

 

[daytrader]

EU BAN ON PIA FLIGHTS TO BE LIFTED SOON

KARACHI: The ban imposed by the European Union on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations is expected to be lifted next month as European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) team is set to visit Pakistan at the end of May, ARY News reported on Thursday citing sources.

PIA was restricted from flying to EU states, the US and the UK last year in July after the EASA suspended the national airline’s authorisation to operate flights to EU member states.

The restrictions were imposed in the wake of the May 20, 2022 Karachi plane crash and a statement by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar that around 40 per cent of Pakistani pilots had fake licences.

Well-informed sources informed ARY News that the EASA delegation will visit Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and PIA Headquarters during their visit to Pakistan at the end of May or the start of June.

The EASA team will carry out a safety audit of CAA and PIA prior to allowing flights from Pakistan to European countries and the United Kingdom (UK), said sources.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) earlier this week expressed satisfaction over safety measures taken by Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The satisfaction with the safety measures has led to removal of the PCAA from the list of the safety-significant concern (SSC).

It is pertinent to mention here that the PIA hopes of restarting flights to EU states faded when the EASA conveyed to former CEO PIA Arshad Malik in January 2022 that it would conduct its own evaluation before allowing resumption of flights from Pakistan.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in December 2021 had expressed satisfaction over safety measures taken by Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The satisfaction with the safety measures led to removal of the PCAA from the list of the safety-significant concern (SSC).

https://arynews.tv/eu-ban-on-pia-flights-to-be-lifted-soon/

 

[MenInG]

The Senate Standing Committee on Aviation on Thursday was informed that the international aviation safety bodies had fixed the date for the audit of the national carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The director general of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), told the meeting, which was presided over by the panel’s chairman Senator Hidayatullah, that after an online audit in October this year by the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA), a physical one would also take place by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

He further said Middle Eastern airlines were also influencing Europe's ban.

He added that foreign airlines could not allow Pakistan to operate Airbus A380 planes in the country.

The PIA landed in hot water in the wake of its flight PK8303 crashing in Karachi on May 22, 2020, and the subsequent announcement by then aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan of the grounding of 262 airline pilots suspected of dodging their exams.

In January this year, EASA had refused to lift the ban imposed on PIA to travel to European countries and the UK on the basis of the audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Following the findings of the audit, the PIA CEO had written a letter to EASA to lift the ban.

In his two-page response sent on January 20, EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky had written that while the development was an important step towards potential lifting of suspension of PIA’s authorisation, it was important to address the overall oversight capacity of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA).

“As indicated in our letter dated 31 March 2021, the emerging situation on the above-mentioned SSC indicated serious degradation of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority certification and oversight capabilities. Such information shall be taken [into account] by EASA when lifting the suspension,” the letter had read.

It had added EASA would conduct its own audit of PIA prior to lifting of the restrictions in accordance with Article 235(d) of the TCO Regulation (EU) No 452/2014.

The CAA DG further told the panel that joint efforts were being made to resume PIA flights to the UK and European Union countries.

He added that efforts were under way that this matter was resolved at the earliest but procedures take time.

The CAA DG further told the committee that despite all-out efforts by the ministry to upgrade the Larkana airport, no progress could be made because of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) stance of protecting the Mohenjodaro that had been declared a World Heritage Site.

He told the panel that the matter was taken to court, implying that the construction work would damage the site.

When the members of the committee objected to the appointment of the CAA DG, Aviation and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique came forward in his defence.

He maintained that the appointment was made according to the law and rules.

The minister added that the official was highly qualified and managing the position well.

The meeting was attended by Senators Sherry Rehman, Saleem Mandviwalla, Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah, Faisal Saleem Rehman, Mohsin Aziz, Afnan Ullah Khan, Atta Ur Rehman , Saifullah Abro and Keshoo Bai among others.

Express Tribune

 

[MenInG]

A team of Pakistani aviation officials would be sent to Brussels next month to inform the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) about the steps taken to restore Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) flight operations, officials said on Friday.

The government has stepped up its efforts to restore the national carrier’s flights to European countries, the UK and US.

During a briefing given to Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, the officials said the team would discuss their air security, safety and operational issues with the agency.

On the occasion, the minister directed the PIA to carry relief goods of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) free of charge for the victims of the recent floods.

He added that all national institutions had to fulfill their duty together for the relief and rehabilitation of the flood victims.

Last month, the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation was informed that the international aviation safety bodies had fixed the date for the audit of the national carrier.

The director general of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), told the meeting that after an online audit in October this year by the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA), a physical one would also take place by EASA.

The PIA landed in hot water in the wake of its flight PK-8303 crashing in Karachi on May 22, 2020, and the subsequent announcement by then aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan of the grounding of 262 airline pilots suspected of dodging their exams.

In January this year, EASA had refused to lift the ban imposed on the PIA to travel to European countries and the UK on the basis of the audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Following the findings of the audit, the PIA CEO had written a letter to EASA to lift the ban.

In his two-page response sent on January 20, EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky had written that while the development was an important step towards potential lifting of suspension of the PIA’s authorisation, it was important to address the overall oversight capacity of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA).

“As indicated in our letter dated 31 March 2021, the emerging situation on the above-mentioned SSC indicated serious degradation of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority certification and oversight capabilities. Such information shall be taken [into account] by EASA when lifting the suspension,” the letter had read.

It had added EASA would conduct its own audit of PIA prior to lifting of the restrictions in accordance with Article 235(d) of the TCO Regulation (EU) No 452/2014.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2373395/pakistani-experts-to-inform-easa-of-steps-taken-to-lift-pia-ban

 

[MenInG]

The United Kingdom (UK) has refused to lift the ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights, expressing its safety reservations to the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), ARY News reported, citing sources.

Sources privy to the development said the Air Safety Unit of the British Department of Transport (DfT) had written a letter to the CAA to convey its concerns over the measures it had taken for flight dependability. The letter was received by CAA on September 8, 2022.

In the letter, the DfT has expressed its dissatisfaction over the steps taken by the CAA to ensure flight standards and safety. The DfT is of the opinion that the ban could not be lifted because of the lack of progress despite the settlement of the licensing issues and legislation on aviation in Pakistan.