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The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in Pakistan has not carried out inspection of 35 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights which can jeopardise the issuance of the required certificate for next years flights, The Express Tribune reported on Wednesday.
The Pakistan aviation authority has made observations about technical problems of planes and crew training among other issues. According to the news daily, the airline was asked to complete the inspections by the CAA by December 2023. Along with the grounded planes, the aircraft flown abroad and by Pakistan Navy are also included in the inspection list. The deadline for the next year's air operator certificate is January 31, 2024. A list of aircraft under the heading of operations specifications has been issued by the CAA director of flight standards. The list contains details of 12 Boeing 777, 17 Airbus A320 and six ATR planes of the airline. The CAA has repeatedly asked the national flag carrier to have the inspections of these planes completed. A total of 15 planes of the PIA are grounded, two are abroad while two are being used by another organisation of the country. The federal government has prepared a major plan to run the PIA, which was drowning in debt, under a public-private partnership with foreign capital and restructuring the national carrier. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is at risk of grounding 15 planes as it is yet to clear dues worth up to Rs 20 billion, Geo News reported. Moreover, over 30 flights are likely to be suspended if the planes are grounded, according to the sources. Delay in timely payment of the dues pertaining to fuel, Federal Excise Duty (FED) and lease payments, might lead to 15 planes being grounded. Earlier, the Ministry of Aviation said that overhauling the PIA is a "complicated" process and will take a year. However, during this time it is imperative to keep the national career operational, reported Geo News.(ANI)
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