LHC slams CAA for suspending pilots’ licences, seeks reply

Author: inp

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday suspended a notice issued to a PIA pilot by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) over alleged suspicious licence and directed it to furnish comments on his petition.

Justice Jawad Hassan of the high court took up a petition moved by Umar Saleem who challenged suspension of his licence.

He contended before the judge that he has been an employee of the national flag carrier since 2006 while began working as a captain from 2015. He complained that the CAA director general without giving him fair hearing suspended his licence on July 10, 2020.

The petitioner said his licence had been renewed for five times and is valid until 2024. He requested the court to set aside the CAA notice with regard to suspension of his licence and grant a stay order against it until a final decision on his petition.

Slamming the CAA, the judge questioned how can it suspend pilot licences after issuing them.

Was a pilot’s licence ever suspended for misbehaving or sleeping during flight, he further asked. How did the CAA think of taking action against the petitioner in 2020 after issuing him licence in 2013, he continued.