LAHORE: Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) employees on Friday held a demonstration on the Allama Iqbal International Airport premises against bifurcation of their department and outsourcing of major airports of the country.

The protest was held under the banner of the People’s Unity.

Holding banners and placards, the employees said they would not allow privatisation of the CAA and demanded increase in salaries.

The National Assembly just before completing its term passed the Pakistan Airports Authority Bill 2022, and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Bill 2022, to bifurcate the role of the CAA — one for regulating civil aviation activities in the country and the other for providing civil aviation services and developing aviation infrastructure.

The government has decided to begin the 25-year outsourcing of operations and land assets at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi airports. It says the operations of these hubs will be run in a public-private partnership to ‘boost foreign exchange’.

The CAA employees said their economic murder would not be allowed by this ‘anti-state decision’. They said the protest across the country would continue till the government withdrew its decision.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2023