Shaheen Air to continue operations as court stops CAA from suspending its services

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) Monday directed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) not to suspend operations of Shaheen Airline International (SAI) from today (July 16). The CAA had issued a letter dated July 13 to the SAI threatening it to withdraw its services from International flights except for flights to Saudi Arabia.

This was confirmed by Director Marketing SAI, Zohaib Hassan and said that SAI has challenged the CAA letter in SHC.  He said the SHC has suspended letter dated July 13 issued by CAA Authority, threatening SAI to withdraw its services for international flights except for flights to Saudi Arabia.

He said SAI has challenged the CAA’s letter which was issued in patent breach of CAA’s own laws particularly Rule 373 of the Civil Aviation Rules 1994. CAA being a regulator of all the airlines have been treating SAI discriminatory, he added.

“Every month SAI contributes billions of rupees in Pakistan’s treasury,” he claimed. CAA never dare to take any action against other local carriers but took panel action against SAI on less than 2 per cent of outstanding of other big carrier of a country, he said.

SAI has also submitted a payment plan before the court on that basis the court suspended CAA letter dated July 13.

SAI has already acted religiously upon its payment plan and the court also reaffirms after SAI produced its substantiation. Zohaib Hassan also said, “SAI operation is as per routine.”

Arshad Hussain
Arshad Hussain
The author is business reporter at Pakistan Today. He can be reached at [email protected]. He tweets @ArshadH47736937

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