By Adeel Ahmed
NEVER has Pakistan’s aviation industry seen a scandal of this scale: indeed, the issue of pilots’ dubious licenses has even overshadowed the findings in the initial investigation report of the PIA plane crash occurred on May 22nd. That we came to know, through the aviation minister, that a whopping 262 pilots had dubious licenses is a source of great shame and humiliation for Pakistan. Not just that, the pilots with phony licenses were working in Pakistan as well as for foreign airlines and flying clubs. The minister further said that the 262 pilots have been indicted by an investigation board and will no longer be allowed to fly.
While the minister was lambasted by the opposition for washing the so-called dirty linen in public, the move will certainly have serious repercussions on the country’s aviation industry. However, the people have a right to make an informed choice when they opt to take to the skies.
In the meantime, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has rightly aired concern over the grave omission in the licensing and security oversight by the Civil Aviation Authority, which is entirely responsible for issuing licenses to all pilots being trained in Pakistan. Just a few days ago, Vietnam’s aviation authority also grounded all Pakistani pilots working for local airlines. Besides, every airline picks instructors from within the pilots hired by it, who are then approved by the CAA, with the final check flight supervised by an inspector of the regulator.
In that regard, every license issued by the CAA is bona fide on paper, but the doubt of that genuineness lies in the fact that certain people within the regulatory body, mainly in its licensing and IT departments, have transcended international regulatory rules to make the examination procedure perverse and complicated. The option to take route to the wrong way therefore becomes extremely alluring, allowing pilots to pass the exam while dishonest CAA officials rake it in. This doesn’t suggest that the pilots are irreproachable, but the responsibility essentially lies with the CAA.
The PK-8303 crash has opened a Pandora’s box: an in-depth repair is necessary, both in PIA and the CAA. In addition to the licensing debacle, the issue of investigations into air crashes, even the minor ones that did not claim lives, need answering. Why is it that investigations, if initiated at all, into numerous non-fatal incidents that have occurred recently have been delayed? For example, an ART-42 skidded off the runway at Gilgit airport in July last year, but, fortunately, all passengers remained safe; the aircraft, however, was badly damaged and had to be written off. No amount of censure is enough for the CAA which is thoroughly responsible for all the shame and compunction this country has faced for over a decade.
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