SC summons CAA chief, OPF MD over facilities at country’s airports

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) on Monday ordered the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) director general (DG) and Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) managing director (MD) to answer questions concerning substandard facilities at the country’s airports and mishandling of luggage.

A three-member bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, passed the order while hearing a suo motu case regarding inconvenience to passengers in baggage handling at airports.

Justice Nisar had earlier warned Maria Jabeen, a deputy director at the CAA, that the authority should ramp up its operations and the court should not receive any further complaints from passengers.

“If we receive any complaints, we will summon the CAA DG,” CJP said, before ordering the top official to appear in court in the next hearing anyway.

Commenting on the overall situation at the airports, the chief justice observed that it takes hours to just put up airstairs and for the luggage to arrive.

He also said that customs officials do not seem to be vigilant, which means porters have to do everything. “Sometimes, passengers’ luggage is broken on arrival,” he added.

Also on the bench, Justice Umar Ata Bandial concurred with the chief justice, saying that the general condition of an airport gives a first impression of the entire country to international travellers.

“People prefer to land in California since the impression is given by the New York airport isn’t good,” Justice Bandial remarked.

The CAA official informed the court that complaints can be filed with the authority through telephone or online.The next hearing of the case will be heard on Saturday in Karachi.