CAA starts inspecting private airliners

KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has kicked off the inspection process of private airlines' planes from today (Monday), Geo News reported. The authority is first scrutinizing the aircrafts owned by Bhoja Air.

According to CAA spokesman, the inspection process would take some time, and that Shaheen Air International and AirBlue carriers will be checked after Bhoja Air.

The spokesman told that the PIA planes had undergone the inspection a month ago.

Earlier, the CAA officials had told that checking of private airlines' planes will be initiated from today while operation of these airlines would continue.

However, the CAA had not yet received orders in connection with the grounding of planes of private airlines, officials added.

It is pertinent to mention that Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar on Sunday ordered to ground all the planes of private airlines, making the obtainment of fitness certificates mandatory for them within the next three to four days.

The Defence Minister, citing 'a string accidents' involving planes of private airlines, directed that their planes be grounded until a time they have their planes inspected and obtain fitness certificates.

The Minister said all the planes of the private airlines would be grounded from today.

On Sunday, the Jinnah International Airport was closed for eight hours after a tyre of a private airliner burst during landing. The plane blocked the main runway and all departing flights were delayed and the incoming flights were diverted to other airports.

In another incident, a flight of the same airline, Shaheen Air, carrying 120 passengers from Lahore to Mashhad was stopped at the last moment when oil was found leaking from its tanks.

A passenger jet of Bhoja Air burst into flames after coming down in fields near a village on the outskirts of capital Islamabad on Friday evening as it approached the city's international airport. The Boeing 737 was carrying 127 passengers, including 11 children, as well as six crew members who lost their lives in the crash.