Govt splits Civil Aviation into two distinct bodies

ISLAMABAD – The federal government has officially issued a notification to split the Civil Aviation Authority into two distinct entities to enhance operational efficiency.

Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) and Civil Aviation would now work independently and airports would be operated under the command of the former while licensing, airworthiness, flight standards, air transport and other associated functions would be dealt with by the latter.

A notification issued by the Aviation Division directs the relevant officials to immediately provide details, including number of employees, assets and other relevant information. This administrative move follows the implementation of the Civil Aviation Authority and Pakistan Airports Authority Acts, which came into effect on November 10, 2023.

As per the latest decision, the heads of both departments will work independently. This decision follows what the previous government decided when they got approval from the parliament to create separate entities, a move implying a strategic approach to overseeing the aviation sector, focusing on improving the performance of both the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The implementation of this new Act will bring forth more details defining specific roles, responsibilities and benefits as a result of this structural change in Pakistan’s civil aviation scenario.

Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) would play an important role in managing and regulating air travel in Pakistan.

The move comes amid the measures taken by the federal government to privatize loss-making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for which consultants have also been hired. The caretaker minister for privatisation, Fawad Hassan Fawad has advocated privatising the carrier which is dealing a massive financial blow to the government every year.