KARACHI: The unscheduled airlines are not being provided with jet fuel at Allama Iqbal International Airport since July this year primarily because of the monopoly and poor planning of Pakistan State Oil (PSO).
Interestingly, being the only fuel provider at the said airport, PSO’s Aviation Fuel Division does not give fuel to the non-scheduled airlines, thus creating heavy revenue losses for Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). PSO does this in the name fuel shortage, but at the same time provides un-interrupted supply of fuel to the NATO forces engaged in Afghanistan war.
Pakistan Today learnt at the Lahore and Peshawar airport that only PSO has the jet fuel facility, yet they have not been able to provide fuel to non-scheduled chartered airlines since July this year, therefore, letting the worth of the airport down.
Prior to this devastating action of PSO, the Allama Iqbal airport was conducting operation of some six to eight non-scheduled flights daily, and now there is very limited non-scheduled flights operation, sources informed.
Sources further said that PSO only provides fuel to scheduled flights or to national carrier which pay charges to the authority in Pakistani rupees, while the non-scheduled pay charges in dollars.
On the other hand at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport Karachi, there are various jet fuel outlets available besides PSO which include Shell, Caltex, and these companies provide limited fuel supply to non-scheduled airlines. This is damaging for both the CAA and the airport, as not a single airport stops fuel supply to the non-scheduled airlines, sources added.
It is to be noted that every single non-scheduled flight pays at least one thousand dollars for its landing to the CAA, sources said, adding that such activity of PSO has been very harmful for the revenue of the authority as Allama Iqbal International Airport is the second largest airport of the country. T
he huge parking space of the airport also adds to its value, being an important airport of the country, and it generates heavy revenue for CAA in terms of handling agents, hotels, fuel agents, manpower etc, but owing to the poor planning of PSO’s Aviation Division the CAA is incurring heavy losses.
Key persons of the said department are busy damaging the reputation of the country and its strategically vital airports, sources added. When contacted, the official spokesperson of PSO Maryam Shah agreed that jet fuel was not being provided to non-scheduled airlines due to a shortage of fuel besides heavy circular debt.
She said PSO has informed the government about its fuel restraints, and in this regard the non-scheduled airlines have been asked to bring with them as much fuel as they can.
