ISLAMABAD: A seven-member team from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) on Monday visited the Islamabad airport as part of the third and last leg of its review of security arrangements at Pakistan airports, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said.
GACA, headquartered in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, is responsible for regulating air transport services and the implementation of civil air regulations, air safety, and airworthiness standards in the kingdom. It also coordinates all regulatory functions with the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The visits by the Saudi aviation team, led by Inspector Mohammad Al-Ajami, is aimed at reviewing security arrangements for direct flights to the Kingdom from Pakistani airports. The team has previously visited Karachi, Multan, Sialkot and Lahore.
The satisfactory completion of the inspection will lead to an increased number of flights from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, PCAA said.
“The team is inspecting the application of security measures by security service providers including ASF [Airport Security Force],” the national aviation regulator said in a statement.
“The GACA team will also inspect security processes of cargo handlers and ground-handling agencies.”
The Saudi experts have been examining passenger pre-boarding, non-passenger screening, baggage screening, CCTV systems, and restricted area access among other security measures at the airports they have visited so far.
As part of the third phase of its visit, the Saudi aviation team will also visit the airport in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, according to the PCAA.
On Monday, the Saudi team was received by the Directorate of Security CAA (Regulatory) and Airport Management and briefed about the airport, “including its geography, layout, passenger and flight statistics and security procedures.”
CAA appreciated Saudi Arabia’s Road to Makkah initiative and its benefits for Hajj pilgrims from Pakistan as immigration under the initiative has been carried out at Islamabad International Airport, improving facilities and ease for travelers.
“The Pakistani side expressed its desire for the extension of this facility to Karachi and Lahore Airport,” the statement said. “The GACA team agreed to recommend the said extension request to KSA government.”
