ICAO audit team to reach Pakistan today

Karachi: A delegation from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is set to arrive in Pakistan today to conduct an audit of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The audit will investigate the aviation regulating body's maintenance standards and flight safety over the course of five days, from November 5–10.

Pakistan requests approval from the ICAO to start operating flights again to Europe and the UK following a year-long prohibition that began in July 2021.

Restrictions were put in place following the plane tragedy in Karachi on May 20, 2022, and the admission made by Ghulam Sarwar, the Aviation Minister at the time, that around 40% of Pakistani pilots possessed forged certificates.

Manjeet Singh will lead the ICAO delegation, which will cover a number of important aviation-related topics, such as air traffic control procedures, flight safety measures, and license requirements.

The ICAO delegation will assess a number of important aviation infrastructure during their tour, including the CAA Headquarters in Karachi and the airports in Lahore and Karachi.

In order to ensure the safety and security of flights operating in European airspace, the ICAO team will also evaluate the regulatory preparations and procedures that oversee aviation in Pakistan.