Rafiq Jan
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has banned PIA from entering its Air space for six months. There are mixed reactions from different walks of life. For those who discern the Air-Safety, these are the optimum punitive measures. For others, it may be classified as racial profiling by the European Union. For Pakistan’s aviation industry it bodes well and seems to be a wake-up call.
What is EASA?
It is an independent authority governing the civil aviation activities inside all the European countries. It has “grandfather rights” to oversee and audit any other country’s airlines and the local aviation authorities. It has clearly defined legislation and criteria that require strict compliance for keeping the air travelling safe and attractive for passengers. Its main functions are:
Pilots’ licenses issuing, renewing, control and monitoring.
Aeronautical engineers’ licenses issuing, control, renewal, and monitoring.
Air traffic control (ATC) personnel licensing, control of aerodromes, monitoring and license renewals.
Control and monitoring of airports in terms of air traffic surveillance, ground equipment and facilities on airports to assist the planes for operation.
It has the authority to suspend or cancel the personnel license of a pilot, engineers, ATC licenses and the “Air Operator Certificate” of the airline, in case of any severe findings and violation or abuse of the license and regulations.
Preludes to this hammer blow
Lessons not learned
EASA, in its recent ruling, mentioned the previous reminders, cautions and directives given to PIA and Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority to provide an audit of airlines’ “Safety Management standards”, complaints and concerns about its pilots’ violations of license privileges. It also had concerns about Pakistan CAA’s connivance on above issues on various occasions.
EASA notification to PIA
The epilogue from my July 2019 blogpost
We expected the new PTI government to feel the plight of the beleaguered aviation industry. My article of July 2019 confirms my resolute faith, but sadly the aviation was never on the list of their reforms until an unfortunate time that it has been thrown at the deep end.
Time for the government to act:
Getting rid of the baggage
Stop the involvement of Air force and Army in commercial airlines’ administrative and leadership affairs. Let the airlines be managed, run, and led by only experienced professionals with relevant business acumen and entrepreneurial track records.
Airlines should be given the status of the travel industry with strict monitoring by authorities.
Pakistan’s Civil aviation authority, CAA, should be headed by an internationally experienced person with multi-national organizational knowledge and understanding under his belt. It should be re-organized and developed with the support and consultation of a world’s top-notch aviation authority. The incumbent must be given absolute power and support directly from the prime minister of Pakistan so that he can run the aviation network independently without any external pressure and influence.
Appoint highly qualified and experienced overseas experienced senior commercial pilots and foreign-trained and experienced engineers in the Accidents Investigation Board (AIB). Air force pilots/engineers are never a suitable choice for this job. Unfortunately, the recent air crash investigation board was headed by an air force senior official and others who had no aviation background.
A fighter pilot is not trained as a commercial pilot. Neither an air force retired/senior serving officer can understand and carry out an accident investigation of a commercial airplane. Let the airlines be managed and led by airline professionals.
Case Study: A retired “Group Captain” of Pakistan Air Force had been the Director of Engineering of an airline for a long time. The airline started well, but due to a “Tunnel Vision leadership”, financial mismanagements, and poor planning finally went out of business. It had several billions of debts payable to the government institutions in terms of operational charges.
Ironically that gentleman, with his pathetic track record, was appointed in a similar role by Serene Air where he is, reportedly, nothing more than a liability for the airline.
All the above are glaring examples of the downside of placing non-professionals in the high-stake positions of commercial businesses. Pakistan needs to stop this as a primary measure to surmount the impending crisis.
Restructuring the Aviation Ministry
Pakistan government needs to step in for placing a Professionally qualified person as Aviation Minister. This position should be a Non-political appointment, strictly based on merits. The Minister of Aviation should be reporting directly to Prime Minister.
It is incumbent on the government to handle this international ban with wisdom and strategy instead of whims. World’s preeminent airlines’ business model should be studied and implemented with a genuine desire.
An accountability programme should be implemented to monitor the pilots’ and engineers qualifications.
Government has no choice but to believe that aviation is a highly regulated industry and that it has no choice other than following the authority’s “Mandatory Regulations” to make the air travel safe for passengers and a lucrative business for the country.
 Revamping the pilots’ hiring process
Recruitment of Pilots should be handled by EASA model of HR team. The team must be highly credible senior retired commercial pilots with background of working in overseas “blue-chip” airlines.
Banning the pilots’ union
PIA, along with other airlines of Pakistan will start an upward journey once the political affiliation of pilots is curbed by a strict law. No pilots should be hired without an oath of keeping himself away from internal and external political activities.
The job description of pilots must include the clause of “continuation of job is subject to the annual Performance and Development Reviews”.
The silver lining
Pakistan CAA and the PIA accountable managers have a lesson to learn in this moment of setback. Let it be the hard way as it appears, but what needs to be remembered is that opportunities do not repeat themselves too often. Let us accept that we failed in the past to seize the moments that came in our way. So, make it a turning point for our aviation to get back on the right flight path for goods.
“Every cloud has a silver lining” an adage that makes sense more than ever…..This ban had long been overdue from foreign authorities. PIA is not banned from flying in the European territories. It is rather reprimanded to brainstorm before they think of letting its next plane fly for the even a domestic journey.
Since a safe aeroplane is the primary duty of the pilot, they need to unlearn the learnings of the past. They will have to take the brunt of international backlash as well as the wrath of our citizens with a big heart and professional courage.
Our government and the aviation authorities have ample time to review and reframe their strategies for turning over a new leaf.
It is time for government of Pakistan and the Aviation ministry to ensure that when next time an airplane leaves the ground, it is 100 percent perfect and airworthy to take the customers safely to their destinations.
The author Rafiq Jan is an experienced Aviation analyst, current affairs blogger and a freelance writer.
