The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), Govern-ment of Sharjah, has put on hold the block landing permission granted earlier to Air Blue for flights to Sharjah international airport and back from August 14, 2008.
The sudden withdrawal of permission may cause the Pakistani private sector carrier huge financial losses, as it had launched an effective marketing campaign and made over a thousand bookings on the Lahore-Sharjah, Islamabad-Sharjah and Peshawar-Sharjah sectors as per the medium-term plan submitted to DCA. The Air Blue had planned daily flights on these sectors.
According to details available here, United Arab Emirates, Ministry of Communications, had far back in July 2005 informed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Pakistan, that it has accepted the designation of the Air Blue, as the national airline of Pakistan in terms of the MoU signed in October 1998 between Pakistan and UAE. It had further requested the CAA to direct Air Blue to co-ordinate with the airport authority concerned in the United Arab Emirates for obtaining necessary operational clearance, and desired that the entitlement capacity between UAE and Pakistan should also be taken into consideration.
In early July, Air Blue Managing Director Syed Nasir Ali had flown to Sharjah to meet DCA officials. During discussions, which were held in a very cordial atmosphere, all matters relating to the start of Air Blue operations were finalised.
Subsequently on July 16, DCA Director General Abdulwahab Mohammed Al Roomi informed Air Blue General Manager (Marketing) Sarosh Bhatti that its flight schedule has been approved and special consideration has been given to these flights with eight hours ground time at Sharjah. The airline was, however, advised to reduce the ground time in their winter schedule. Assuring the airline of "utmost co-operation at all times," the DCA director general said: "We welcome you to the Sharjah International Airport and wish you a successful operation."
Suddenly, however, on July 22 Al Roomi, referring to the landing permission granted earlier for the requested flights from August 14, informed Air Blue that the block permission "is now on hold, until you forward the necessary authorisation from the aeronautical authorities concerned in Pakistan."
He also pointed out, in his letter, that the operations of passenger flights between the Sharjah International Airport and destinations in Northern Pakistan is governed by aero political air services agreements between the UAE and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Therefore, the traffic rights requirements "for your flights should come through the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan."
On receipt of this letter, the matter was immediately taken up by Manzar Jamal, Director Air Transport, CAA, Pakistan, with Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General, General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Abu Dhabi, UAE.
On July 24, he wrote to the GCAA director general that "due to the unilateral open skies policy of Sharjah as stipulated in the Air Services Agreement (ASA), the Air Blue has already launched its marketing and selling campaign and any delay in clearance of their schedule is going to cause colossal financial loss to them."
Referring to Al Roomi's letter of July 22 addressed to Air Blue, Manzar Jamal pointed out that the air services agreement between Pakistan and United Arab Emirates are governed by Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concluded in January, 2007. "The stipulations are to be honoured by both sides without any involvement of respective aeronautical authorities."
Further, the MoU precludes any reference requiring filing of schedule (revised or otherwise) by Pakistan designated airlines, through aeronautical authority of Pakistan. Nevertheless, he enclosed revised summer schedule 2008, in respect of Air Blue for approval as per attachment "D" para two of the MoU of January 2007 as requested by the Department of Civil Aviation, Sharjah.
In the meantime, Syed Nasir Ali rushed to Sharjah to sort out the matters, relating to landing permission with the DCA manager (services), but without any success.
On July 29, Al Roomi referring to the above meeting wrote to Syed Nasir Ali requesting him "to put the sale campaign on hold until the issue of designation and traffic rights are resolved between GCAA of UAE and CAA of Pakistan." The airline was also advised to make necessary alternative arrangements for the passenger bookings already made.
On receipt of this letter, Manzar Jamal immediately wrote back on the same date (July 29) to the GCCA director general, Abu Dhabi, UAE that "Pakistan has designated the Air Blue for operations between Pakistan and UAE that includes Emirates of Sharjah. "The designation has been officially accepted by the Government of UAE through diplomatic channel," he informed requesting "to kindly accord the necessary operating authorisation to the Air Blue for operations to Sharjah."
According to knowledgeable sources, this situation has been created by the DCA, Sharjah, to force CAA to allow Air Arabia, which is owned by Sharjah, more flights into Pakistan. It presently has seven flights per week and wants another seven flights added to its schedule. Air Arabia, which was launched in October 2003 is the largest low-cost (LCC) airline in the Middle East and North Africa.
Needless to mention that Pakistani and Gulf airlines carry third freedom and fourth freedom traffic, but Gulf carriers in addition pick up from Pakistan sixth freedom traffic as well which does not legally exist.
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