Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority

Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) (Urdu: مقتدرہ شہری ہوابازی پاکستان) is a state-owned autonomous body under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Aviation, which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in Pakistan. PCAA's head office is situated in Terminal-1 of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.[3] PCAA is a member state of the International Civil Aviation Organization.[4] Nearly all 44 civilian airports in Pakistan are owned and operated by the PCAA.[5][6]

Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority
مقتدرہ شہری ہوابازی پاکستان
Agency overview
Formed7 December 1982 (1982-12-07)
Preceding agency
  • Civil Aviation Department (dissolved December 1982 (1982-12))
Jurisdiction Pakistan
HeadquartersJinnah International Airport
Karachi-75200
24°53′55″N 67°09′08″E / 24.898636°N 67.152087°E / 24.898636; 67.152087
Annual budget47,584 billion Pakistani rupees (Annual Report 2014)[1]
Minister responsible
Agency executive
  • Shoukat Ali, Secretary Aviation and Director General PCAA[2]
Parent agencyAviation Division, Government of Pakistan
Websitehttp://www.caapakistan.com.pk

Organizational structure

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Civil Aviation Authority has been transformed into following divisions:

  • Regulatory Division [7]
  • Airports & Operations Division [8]
  • Support Division [9]

Aircraft Accident Investigation Board

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Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB), working under Ministry of Aviation Division Government of Pakistan is responsible for civil aircraft's accidents and serious incidents investigation. In this role, the AAIB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents. The investigation board is based in Rawalpindi near Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIAP). It has one regional office located in Karachi near Jinnah International Airport (JIAP).[10]

Functions

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Jinnah International Airport's terminal has the Pakistan CAA head office

PCAA not only plays the role of aviation regulator but at the same time performs the service provider functions of air navigation services and airport services. The core functions of PCAA are, therefore, 'Regulatory', 'Air Navigation Services' and 'Airport Services'. These core functions are fully supported by various corporate functions of the organisation.[11]

Air traffic

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Map of airports in Pakistan

Pakistan's airspace is divided into two flight information regions (FIRs).[12]

Air crash investigations

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The Aircraft Accident Investigation Board held following the air crash investigations on direction of the federal Government of Pakistan.[13]

Recognition

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According to Service Performance Survey (SPS), a recent survey conducted by Singapore Airlines, the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore is ranked the world's leading airport in terms of service performance out of 18 airports from around the world, including Dubai Airport, Cape Town Airport, Mumbai Airport and Campbeltown Airport (UK) for its good terminal services and effective management.[14]

Islamabad International Airport is the first and only airport in Pakistan capable of handling the world's largest passenger airliner Airbus A380.[15]

Major traffic flows by airport

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Training

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Civil Aviation Training Institute (CATI), Hyderabad works under the Civil Aviation Authority. CATI is accredited by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and is member of ICAO Trainair programme. The institute was established in 1982 to fulfill training requirement of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and that of the fellow countries of the region.[16]

The Civil Aviation Training Institute provides training in the disciplines of:

  • Air Traffic Services
  • Electronics Engineering
  • Communication Operations
  • Aviation Management & Administration
  • Rescue and Fire Fighting Services
  • Electromechanical Engineering

Fake licenses scandal

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Ghulam Sarwar Khan addressed Pakistan's National Assembly stating 262 pilots in the country "did not take the exam themselves" and had paid someone else to sit it on their behalf, according to CNN, and added "they don't have flying experience". This accounts for 30% of Pakistani civilian pilots not capable of flying commercial aircraft. The investigation was the preliminary report into the PIA 8303 plane crash that killed 97 people in the southern city of Karachi on 22 May.[17]

On 30 June, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) revoked PIA's 'third part authorisation', subsequently banning PIA from flying in European airspace for 6 months from the following day, following multiple safety failings.[18]

Pakistan Airports Authority

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The authority will be bifurcated into Pakistan Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority and the Pakistan Airports Authority as per National Aviation Policy 2019.[5][6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Annual Report 2014" (PDF). Financial Highlights. Pakistani Civil Aviation Authority.
  2. ^ "Members Profile". www.caapakistan.com.pk. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Contact". Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  4. ^ "ICAO Member States" (PDF). International Civil Aviation Organization - ICAO. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  5. ^ a b Iqbal, Nasir (27 July 2020). "Civil Aviation Authority to be bifurcated". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Authorities start delinking process of Civil Aviation Authority". ARY NEWS. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Civil Aviation Authority divided into three parts after restructuring". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  8. ^ Asghar, Mohammad (7 January 2021). "CAA divided into three divisions". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  9. ^ "CAA undergoes restructuring, divides into three new units". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  10. ^ "AAIB - Final Investigation Reports". www.caapakistan.com.pk. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  11. ^ "PCAA | Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority".
  12. ^ "Air Traffic Management". Air Traffic Management (ATM). PCAA. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  13. ^ "SIB Final Investigation Reports".
  14. ^ "Service Quality and Passenger Satisfaction of Singapore Airlines - Assignment Point". Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  15. ^ "Largest passenger aircraft lands at Islamabad airport". The Express Tribune. Pakistan: The Express Tribune. 8 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2020. The largest passenger jet in the world touched down at the new Islamabad International Airport...after Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) gave permission to...bring the airplane to Pakistan. The first flight of A380 in Pakistan arrived with 650 passengers on board from Dubai.
  16. ^ "Introduction". Pakistan: Civil Aviation Training Institute. Archived from the original on 9 December 2006. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  17. ^ Sophia Saifi and Nectar Gan (25 June 2020). "Almost 1 in 3 pilots in Pakistan have fake licenses, aviation minister says". CNN.
  18. ^ "EU bans Pakistan national airline flights over pilot exam cheats". the Guardian. Associated Press. 30 June 2020.
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