RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday proposed to declare the country’s airports as duty-free zones, similar to those in Dubai, so that operators could import aircraft components and keep them in the airport area.

Attending a meeting of the Senate’s subcommittee on aviation as a special invitee, Mr Abbasi said the world was changing and “we have to simplify things in order to compete with the world, and not to make things more difficult”.

The meeting, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, reviewed and discussed amendments to the Civil Aviation Rules 1994 and National Aviation Policy 2019.

The committee was informed by the RPT operators that the airlines had to face a delay of two to three years in getting fresh licences for domestic and international flights.

The CAA explained to the committee that fresh licences for domestic and international flights were approved by the federal cabinet and the delay was due to clearance from security agencies.

Senator Afnan Ullah Khan said these security clearance protocols were the real hindrance to the economy.

The Regular Public Transport (RPT) operators suggested that the power to issue fresh licences for domestic flights should be given to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) director general and those for international flights to the Ministry of Aviation.

The committee lamented the rules regarding renewal of licence. “Why do we need a renewal of licence?” Mr Mandviwalla asked, terming the idea absurd. He wondered why students needed a licence approved by the CAA whose only work was to monitor private flying schools, and not students.

Mr Abbasi wondered when the licence of an operator expired in two years how could he acquire an aircraft on lease for seven years.

Senator Aon Abbas suggested that a timeline should be also fixed for the issuance of licences which might not be exceeded from 45 to 60 days and the ministries concerned should finish their queries by that time.

The RPT operators also conveyed their concerns to the committee about the cumbersome procedure they have to go through for importing spare parts of aircraft.

Mr Mandviwalla said this issue was of prime importance and rules should be drawn to provide facilities to the RPT operators and not problems.

On the issue of private plane licence, the committee asked the CAA officials why a person needed a renewal of licence after five years. Mr Mandviwalla said the validity of the licence for private planes should be subject only to medical fitness and recency of flights.

The committee lamented the intrusion by the FAA Inspector in the simulation of pilots. Mr Mandviwalla wondered when the simulation of pilots was a facility recognised by the CAA then why do “we need an inspection from the FAA Inspector?”

The committee prohibited the fasting by pilots and directed the CAA officials to take this into consideration while amending the rules.

CAA Director General Khaqan Murtaza sought two months to prepare the draft inculcating therein all the amendments proposed by the RPT operators for further deliberations by the committee.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2021