CAA strongly sets aside SAI's allegations about the recent woes, distress and agony of passengers being caused by the regulator and has termed such allegations from SAI as a cover-up of airline's incompetence and inability to work according to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). In its statement, SAI has been naive to term flying on new routes as routine timetable changes and trying to mislead general public covering up for its extreme mismanagement and violation of rules and regulations. Starting up a new and unauthorised international route cannot be construed as a routine timetable change. Sale of tickets for unauthorised routes is not only a violation but also misleads passengers into buying tickets. It becomes a scam for innocent potential passengers who are unaware of the ground realities.
SAI has time and again tried to twist the facts and even the judgements of the Honourable Sindh High Court (SHC) to shift the blame of its mismanagement, inefficiency and lawlessness on CAA. Boarding bridge facility was withdrawn from SAI because it failed to clear its outstanding dues since months despite numerous commitments from its top management. Furthermore, SHC has not ordered CAA to resume the boarding bridge facility to SAI. In fact it was resumed only after payment of CAA's outstanding dues were made binding on SAI through the court order.
Moreover, SHC has not ruled in favour of SAI on its Regular Public Transport (RPT) License issue. The issue is subjudice in the court where the SHC through its legal process is considering the case in which CAA has a clear stance that SAI has failed to meet the codal formalities of the renewal of its license, which it must do within 45 days in the best interest of safety and rights of the travelling public in Pakistan.-PR
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017