RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) is all set to exercise its regulatory powers to collect long pending dues from Shaheen Air International (SAI).

According to PCAA, SAI has again resorted to the misconduct of non-payment of PCAA outstanding dues and authority has no choice but to exercise its regulatory powers to collect the dues.

The authority strongly refuted SAI’s claim of heavy losses incurred by the airline due to delay in issuance of Regular Public Transport (RPT) license. The PCAA clarified that the National Aviation Policy 2015 and all the associated policies thereof were issued by the government and not by the PCAA.

Moreover, the authority stated that regulatory intervention was undertaken when considered mandatory by virtue of prevalent circumstances/indicators. Its said that SAI did not submit its flight schedule request for the aforementioned sector as prescribed under applicable rules and regulations.

On the contrary, SAI submitted its proposed flight schedule on the Multan–Muscat route days before the commencement of operations. However, the request for the approval of the Multan–Muscat flight schedule was pending in light of SAI’s non-fulfillment of PCAA requirements.

The authority further clarified that airline operators were not authorized to sell airways bills/tickets to the passengers prior to obtaining approval from the concerned regulatory body. This is a practice that has to be condemned as being detrimental to the interests of the traveling public, the PCAA maintained.

It said that the renewal of Shaheen Air International’s RPT license was the prerogative of the government and it required security clearance by the concerned security agencies, in the past.

Nonetheless, Shaheen Air International’s RPT license has always been renewed in accordance with the directives of the government.

As for the present, the airline has been granted a period of 45 days for the acquisition of a fresh RPT license in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. The responsibility for the fulfillment of all regulatory requirements rests with SAI to ensure the continuity of their business operations, the authority said, adding that PCAA would not permit any flight operation without a valid RPT license and insurance at the risk and cost of flight safety and passenger safety.