CAA to seek cabinet's nod to outsource pilots licencing exams to UK

KARACHI: A meeting of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Thursday decided to place a summary, seeking to outsource the process of holding licencing exams to the British Civil Aviation Authority , before the cabinet for its approval.

The PCAA suspended all licensing examinations in July after Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan had what aviation officials and experts said was incorrect claimed as many as 262 pilots possessed fake licences.

In January, at an online public meeting aired live on CAA's Facebook page, many concerned asked CAA chief Khaqan Murtaza about the resumption of licensing exams. To which he said: “This will, God willing, begin in the end of March or April start."

"We [CAA] are going to outsource these exams and all the written exams will be conducted through the UK CAA,” he had said.

A damage control measure, the outsourcing of the process to UK CAA will help Pakistan address the concerns of the international air travel agencies including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which had suspended the country's Third Country Operation Authorisation in the aftermath of Khan's statement.

According to CAA, the’ examination and the subsequent licensing process will be linked to National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Latterly, CAA Deputy Director General (Regulations) Shafi Dar held virtual sessions with his British counterparts wherein, sources suggest, the regulator was assured complete assistance.