KARACHI: An Asia-Pacific Combined Action Team (CAT) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has commenced its visit to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).

The team will return on November 10, 2023. According to the details, the mission’s objective is to assist ICAO member states under the ‘No Country Left Behind’ initiative and help prepare them for future ICAO validation missions.

PCAA spokesman informed that the CAT team is not in Pakistan for any audit, but rather to discuss corrective action plans already submitted by the PCAA and provide guidance on further improvements if needed.

This CAT mission is part of ICAO’s efforts to ensure all member states meet international aviation safety and security standards. It is focused on the CAA’s internal processes and procedures and is not related to the operations of Pakistani airlines.

The visit should not be confused with separate bilateral engagements between the PCAA and other countries regarding airline operations, PCAA spokesman said.

He said that the CAT team is meeting with senior PCAA officials during their visit. PCAA looks forward to benefiting from their guidance to maintain and enhance its compliance with international standards, he maintained.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023