Sweeping change: CAA, PIA, ASF leave Ministry of Defence’s wings !

[Edevelop]

Instead, all three organisations will now be under the Aviation Division, which will be headed by the Adviser to the PM on Aviation Affairs

KARACHI:

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has started to bring in sweeping reforms and as some insiders had always maintained one of the first sectors to get its attention is aviation.

A new division has been created to look after the aviation industry, which up till now had been closely controlled by the Ministry of Defence, highlighting the interest of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is largely credited for the country’s open skies policy.

“This appears to be a very good decision. We had to do away with bureaucratic hurdles to move swiftly with plans and requests like issuing licences to more airlines,” said an aviation industry official. “But let’s hope this doesn’t turn into some game where only a few people are favoured.”

The Aviation Division will be headed by Shujaat Azeem, who has been appointed as the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Aviation Affairs recently, along with other cabinet members.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and the Airport Security Force (ASF) will come under the new division.

The move is particularly beneficial for CAA, which had become a dummy organisation over the years.

“From appointments to issuing flying permits and awarding frequencies to airlines, everything was being controlled by the defence ministry. That had greatly compromised our position,” said a senior CAA official.

Over the last five years, some of the leading carriers including British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines have stopped flying to Pakistan.

“We have to come up with policies and incentives to attract more airlines. That requires the will to take decisions based on commercial interests. Things would move very slowly at the ministry when it came to this,” said the official.

On the domestic front, at least four airlines including Indus Air, Rayyan Air, Vision Air and Fly Pakistan Air had been vying to start operations for quite some time. “Here again the ministry had the final word on all the affairs, leading to delays.”

Since its establishment in December 1982, the CAA has seen around 30 organisational heads.

About the adviser

Captain (retd) Shujaat Azeem is the brother of seasoned politician Senator Tariq Azeem. Shujaat is also CEO of Royal Airport Service, which provides ground handling facility to airlines.

A former pilot for assassinated Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Shujaat is considered close to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif. He reportedly played a crucial role in establishing links between the Sharif family and the Saudi royal family.

Shujaat has other business interests including a housing colony Sukh Chayn Gardens on the outskirts of Lahore.

Challenges

Bogged down by financial losses, PIA has become a bone of contention for successive governments. World’s highest employee to aircraft ratio, fiscal leakages and excessive interference of unions in management affairs has made it a difficult-to-run state-owned organisation.

With the Ministry of Defence as its parent, proposals to privatise it were shot down as some people in the government see it as a ‘strategic asset’.

But the real challenge for the adviser will be to help bring back the business, which PIA has lost to Middle-East based carriers. “They are flying more and more flights to all the cities and taking away our passengers. Why can’t the government give us the money to buy more planes and help us fight to get back the traffic,” said an airline official.

Considering the close links PML-N enjoys with Arab states, it remains to be seen if the new adviser can stop the onslaught of their airlines.

A CAA spokesperson said he was not aware of the development. Ministry of Defence spokesperson was not available for comments.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/561458/sweeping-change-caa-pia-asf-leave-ministry-of-defences-wings/

 

[FaujHistorian]

[...


But the real challenge for the adviser will be to help bring back the business, which PIA has lost to Middle-East based carriers. “They are flying more and more flights to all the cities and taking away our passengers. Why can’t the government give us the money to buy more planes and help us fight to get back the traffic,” said an airline official.....

it will be joke to try to compete with big dogs like Qatar Airways, unless PIA and Pakistani nation is willing to be as open minded and tourist friendly like the gulf arilines.


Another important factor is that Qatar hosts American base.

Qatar Airways mainly and Emirates to lesser extent serve HUGE number of American servicemen and servicemen.

This is what PIA was doing back in 60s thanks to American airbase in Peshawar.


Now we hate Americans, hate the tourism, we are now closed minded tribals.


And thus, PIA cannot take away business from QA or Emirates.


Hope you guys understand this.


peace

 

[tarrar]

Well our PIA was a great airline until this man

who we know as haramdari destroyed PIA to run his family Airline.

 

[SBD-3]

Well our PIA was a great airline until this man

who we know as haramdari destroyed PIA to run his family Airline.

It was a crap even before zardari. Unless we don't make it compete with other airlines, it will not slimin up for competition.

 

[Jango]

Finally!!!

If this happens, I would applaud PML government.

But why put this under an advisor? Why not make a separate department or something, because an advisor will be working in an advisory role to the PM, while you need a manager or a director for heading these organizations.

And ASF should be under MoI I believe.

 

[SEAL]

Good decision i wish PML-N good luck, i want to see PIA in profit making organisations and restore the pride of Pakistan.

 

[Sugarcane]

All govt. owned corporations should be privatized, these organizations are full of corrupt and hud-haram employees. We can't feed these ba$$tards with tax money.

 

[SBD-3]

All govt. owned corporations should be privatized, these organizations are full of corrupt and hud-haram employees. We can't feed these ba$$tards with tax money.

Exactly!!!

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

When the selfish unions lose their steam and when the national Flag carrier leaves government wings completely and there are massive restructuring then it can be a highly profitable entity

Till then, "business" as usual (if you want to call it business)

 

[Cheetah786]

Finally!!!

If this happens, I would applaud PML government.

But why put this under an advisor? while you need a manager or a director for heading these organizations.

Captain (retd) Shujaat Azeem is the brother of seasoned politician Senator Tariq Azeem. Shujaat is also CEO of Royal Airport Service, which provides ground handling facility to airlines.

A former pilot for assassinated Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Shujaat is considered close to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif. He reportedly played a crucial role in establishing links between the Sharif family and the Saudi royal family.

A retired pilot will run PIA he is qualified cause he helped sharif and saudi family come together. While they at it why not hire our FaujHistorian to be a pakistani ambassador to USA.

Same s.h.i.t different name how is this going to help? political appointments yeahhhhhhhhhh now we are going to be saved.

 

[Jango]

Captain (retd) Shujaat Azeem is the brother of seasoned politician Senator Tariq Azeem. Shujaat is also CEO of Royal Airport Service, which provides ground handling facility to airlines.

A former pilot for assassinated Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Shujaat is considered close to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif. He reportedly played a crucial role in establishing links between the Sharif family and the Saudi royal family.

A retired pilot will run PIA he is qualified cause he helped sharif and saudi family come together. While they at it why not hire our FaujHistorian to be a pakistani ambassador to USA.

Same s.h.i.t different name how is this going to help? political appointments yeahhhhhhhhhh now we are going to be saved.

Oh well, there goes the merit out of the window!
@hasnain0099, any comment?

 

[SBD-3]

Oh well, there goes the merit out of the window!
@hasnain0099, any comment?

1-Of course he is the ex-personal pilot of harriri family. But NS has already reported had good relationships with KSA. His name was got more prominent as rafiq harriri was the main guarantor of the exile, Saudi Government was the one which was pushing for a safe exit of NS from Musharraf's capture. But Mushi wanted a neutral guarantor for NS's not returning back, which was facilitated subsequently by Rafique Harriri. But that's something into historical context
2-If you would have read the news in detail the purpose of this division is to manage avation separately from defence ministry
“From appointments to issuing flying permits and awarding frequencies to airlines, everything was being controlled by the defence ministry. That had greatly compromised our position,”. So this division would manage the Aviation sector not just PIA. PIA's head will likely be selected separately.
3-Shahid Khakan Abbasi could have also been selected as a head as he has the requisite experience, but since he owns airblue
this would have created a conflict of interest. That's why perhaps shujaat azim was selected rather than SKA because
1-He has relevant industry experience.
2-Does not have a conflict of interest.
Well thats what i could explain about it rest it depends upon posters own understandings so as to how do they see things.

 

[Jango]

3-Shahid Khakan Abbasi could have also been selected as a head as he has the requisite experience, but since he owns airblue
this would have created a conflict of interest. That's why perhaps shujaat azim was selected rather than SKA because
1-He has relevant industry experience.
2-Does not have a conflict of interest.
Well thats what i could explain about it rest it depends upon posters own understandings so as to how do they see things.

The first 2 points I have no problem with, but the 3rd one.

There is a complete conflict of interest here. CAA governs the airports and all the ground services operations. Royal AIrport services is a ground handling agency.

And we don't need a PIA pilot heading this, that has been the problem all along, even when PIA, CAA was under MoD. What would a pilot know about running a corporation? A pilot is a FSc pass person, with no experience in corporate management whatsoever. A business oriented person was needed who would handle the admin and marketing affairs etc of CAA and Aviation, not a retired pilot. A pilot can be used for technical departments, but not for heading an organization.

Although the decision to separate it from MoD was right, this appointment reeks of personal favours.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

The first 2 problems I have no problem with, but the 3rd one.

There is a complete conflict of interest here. CAA governs the airports and all the ground services operations. Royal AIrport services is a ground handling agency.

And we don't need a PIA pilot heading this, that has been the problem all along, even when PIA, CAA was under MoD. What would a pilot know about running a corporation? A pilot is a FSc pass person, with no experience in corporate management whatsoever. A business oriented person was needed who would handle the admin and marketing affairs etc of CAA and Aviation, not a retired pilot.

Although the decision to separate it from MoD was right, this appointment reeks of personal favours.

There will be no change in reality. This is only redistribution of patronage favors being delivered as promised in exchange for other considerations.

 

[SBD-3]

The first 2 problems I have no problem with, but the 3rd one.

There is a complete conflict of interest here. CAA governs the airports and all the ground services operations. Royal AIrport services is a ground handling agency.

If you go to their website, they already have a significant chunk of business of handling airlines in Pakistan at both Karachi and Peshawar. Yes if you see any handeling being handed over to RAS secretly, yes by all means you would be just in your criticism. But the handeling service is more connected to the airline whom its serving.

And we don't need a PIA pilot heading this, that has been the problem all along, even when PIA, CAA was under MoD. What would a pilot know about running a corporation?

Yaar this is not a corporation, this is just a division within MoD which would specifically deal with aviation industry. Not a corporation i reiterate.

A pilot is a FSc pass person, with no experience in corporate management whatsoever. A business oriented person was needed who would handle the admin and marketing affairs etc of CAA and Aviation, not a retired pilot.

I haven't come across his profile to judge that he is FSC pass, have you?