SAFA marks Pakistan registered aircraft 'negative'

Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) during assessment found serious safety violations and has marked negative to Pakistan registered aircraft. SAFA inspection performed on Pakistani operators abroad had often reported on evidence of smoking in the cockpit and this flagrant violation besides portraying bad image of Pakistani pilots as principal violators was a major reason for negative marking of SAFA assessment of Pakistan registered aircraft, said Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) in its letter issued on March 7, 2018.
It said that government of Pakistan also issued 'Prohibition of smoking and protection of non-smokers health ordinance 2002' to provide prohibition of smoking and other tobacco uses at public places and public service vehicles to protect non-smokers' health. Therefore, PCAA in compliance of state law declared all flights as non-smoking flights and announcement to the effect was introduced as reminder.
The letter said smoking on aircraft was a threat to its safety and an offence under the state law. However, it has been reported that ban on smoking is not being observed by cockpit crew. It said that despite repeated reminders on the subject, smoking onboard aeroplanes by crew was still rampant.
Keeping the said in view, the Director General PCAA has taken serious notice and directed implementation of prohibition of smoking onboard aircraft on ground/air in cockpit or elsewhere in aircraft without exception. Furthermore, he ordered to enforce strict actions with immediate effects, which are as follow:
The no smoking onboard rule should be made part of all operators' operational manual along with punitive action besides CRM training for the crew. Passengers/supernumerary crew/cabin crew are also prohibited to smoke in the cockpit and in case it is done, the entire crew complement present in the cockpit would be held responsible.
In case of no smoking violation, licenses of entire operating crew complement present in the cockpit shall be suspended for three months if it is reported and proved that someone out of the crew complement has smoked or assisted in permitted smoking. The license of crew member who is involved in no smoking violation on board for the second time would also be revoked.