KARACHI, May 16: The air traffic control officers have decided to follow the book as a protest against the injustices and discrimination with them as compared to the other supporting branches, it is learnt reliably. Sources said that air traffic control was one of the two main branches of aviation industry and the air traffic control officers were regarded as backbone of the civil aviation and thus well paid class all over the world due to their delicate and responsible job.

They said the officers were working round-the-clock for the safety of aircraft and their occupants with unreliable and unsatisfactory radar and communication equipment. “Though the air traffic control officers are earning more than 84 per cent of the revenue for the Civil Aviation Authority, they are most ignored class of officers, as they have no direct contact with high-ups due to nature of operation duties,” the sources said.

They said that the officers were waiting even for their first promotion after 12 to 21 years of services, whereas the CAA has promoted a great number of officers in administration, accounts, facilitation, fire and medical sections.

The sources said the CAA management was bringing PAF officer in the air traffic control branch, which would further affect the promotion of regular officers. There were only two branches – air traffic control and airworthiness – whose officers were licensed by the government as per International Civil Aviation Organization rules.

They said that the air traffic control officers had adopted to follow the procedure as per the book, but it had affected the airlines as their cost of operation had been increased tremendously.