ISLAMABAD: A scam has been unearthed in the billing system of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), causing huge monetary loss to the organisation.

Informed sources told Dawn that under a clandestine deal the automated aeronautical billing system was converted into a manually operated one to benefit selected airlines.

They said the 20/20 billing system had been purchased from New Zealand in 2007, which allows automated generation of bills to the airlines whose planes use Pakistan’s airspace.

However, this system was secretly converted into manual to bill the selected airlines and spare those who agreed to pay a part of the bill in bribe.

The CAA has lost billions of rupees because of the manipulation.

After the wrongdoing was detected, the company that supplied the system has been asked to ensure that the system starts generating automated bills again, the sources said, adding that action was being taken against those responsible for the manipulation.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Aviation Shujaat Azeem confirmed the scam and said remedial action had been initiated.

Besides, he said, Lahore airport would soon have the ILS Cat-III C system that allows aircraft to land at zero visibility. This system, he pointed out, would be in place within next 120 days, well before the next winter when flights are diverted because of thick fog.

This winter 102 flights were diverted from the airport, causing a loss of billions of rupees to the PIA and private airlines, besides inconvenience to passengers.