KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines’ director of flight operations (DFO), Salman Azhar, who is on leave preparatory to retirement (LPR), is still working on the post in violation of PIA policy, according to sources.

The post of DFO is one of the most important positions in an airline as the incumbent is supposed to represent the aviation regulator, according to them. He must ensure that rules and regulations are being followed by the airline, flight crewmembers are following the flight duty time limitations and air safety is not compromised.

The Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA) has raised objections to Mr Azhar’s actions and demanded his removal.

The PIA management says that according to the policy, an official on LPR, if extremely necessary, may continue to perform his duty for up to three months.

But Mr Azhar has been working as the DFO while on leave for more than six months.

The sources alleged that the management intentionally made such appointments because officials like Mr Azhar were vulnerable to pressure and tended to follow the “dictates” of their seniors.

The sources told Dawn that Mr Azhar was posted as the DFO on Dec 2, 2014, just 12 days before his LPR was to begin. The three-month period during which he could continue working on the post ended on March 15, 2015.

In a communication to the PIA management which refers to the airline’s Personnel Policies Manual, the PALPA has said that Mr Azhar is continuing to work as the DFO not due to shortage of pilots but because of non-availability of a suitable successor as per the job profile.

In such cases, it said, the manual clearly stated that while on LPR, an official could not continue to hold his post for more than three months.

The PALPA called for changes in the procedure of selection of pilots with substantial years of service for management portfolios so that they could be more productive to the airline and could also ensure consistency of policy making regarding the flight operations department.

When contacted, PIA spokesperson Aamir Memon refused to disclose the date of Mr Azhar’s appointment as the DFO and the date on which his LPR began, saying that the information was confidential.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015

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