CAA Delaying Licensing Process, Risking Future of Pilots

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan has said that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has lifted all restrictions and Pakistani airlines will be allowed to fly to Europe, the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK).

According to the details, in a letter to CAA dated January 4, 2022, the ICAO, a United Nations aviation body, said its validation committee had reviewed actions and relevant evidence validated in Pakistan. “The Committee determined that the actions taken by Pakistan had successfully resolved SSC (significant safety concern),” ICAO’s letter said.

“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.

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“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.

Sources within the aviation industry told Baaghi TV that the process for licensing examinations will further take three more months to start. Why is it taking more three more months when the Civil Aviation Authority has almost 18 months to prepare for it?

It is pertinent to mention here that even though the CAA has cleared the safety audit, still they are delaying the process for pilot licensing. The aviation regulator is risking the future of aspiring pilots, Flight Operation Officers (FOO), Engineers and Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) as they are waiting for almost two years.

However, fact of the matter is that this represents the incompetence and lack of interest of the Civil Aviation Authority in the licensing department as they just couldn’t outsource a foreign examination system in almost two years. This is the non-serious attitude of a regulatory body with the future aviation aspirants.

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CAA, which was formed in December of 1982, is considered to be an autonomous body thereby, it has the sole right to establish its own laws and code of conduct. Ultimately, there is some potential for such a body to turn into a mafia which coerces individuals and/or other bodies into its fixed mold or worse, blackmailing them into submission.

However, fact of the matter is that we have appointed highly incompetent, inexperienced and unqualified people on these positions. Unfortunately, the CAA has been reduced to a dumping ground for retired services officers, lacking in skills and competence for oversight of such projects. It takes more than the skills of a pilot to serve as an advisor for aviation or perform the role of DG CAA.

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