The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is planning to introduce helicopter service for tourists in Pakistan, CAA Director General, Khaqan Murtaza said this while briefing the Senate’s Aviation Committee.
The director was asked by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman, a member of the committee, that why the authority has not yet introduced a helicopter facility to promote tourism in the country. To this question the director replied that a plan in this regard is in the pipeline.
Khaqan also informed the panel that flights to Saida Sharif airport in Swat were suspended, as the number of passengers were less than the required number. He said a “mere six passengers traveled on a flight to Swat, due to which the flight operation was suspended”.
The committee also asked the CAA DG about the fake pilot license scam. In this regard, he informed that 82 pilots out of 262 were declared to be bogus. After which the committee asked Khaqan to prepare a report on the matter in the next meeting.
Meanwhile, the aviation committee also directed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Air Marshal Arshad Malik to turn up along with the record of the Karachi plane crash.
The CAA secretary informed that the national flag carrier is to pay off an outstanding debt of PKR455 billion. On the other hand, a restructuring plan to “turn the airline into a profit making entity has been forwarded to the federal cabinet”, he added.
