The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is facing waves of protests from its officers and employees unions, who have declared their intent to stage demonstrations at airports across the nation today. These unions are not only voicing their opposition to the outsourcing of airport management but are also demanding the removal of the current CAA Director-General (DG).
This protest movement was triggered by the government’s decision to outsource the operations of three major airports, a move that has been met with strong resistance from CAA employees. Their discontent first surfaced in July when they vehemently opposed the outsourcing of Pakistan’s three major airports.
At Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, members of the CAA union and officer association gathered to express their dissent. They symbolically tied black bands as a sign of their resistance to airport outsourcing and declared their unwavering stance against any such move.
The officer association has been vocal about the potential risks associated with outsourcing airports, particularly in terms of national security and defense.
The federal government initially attempted to engage in talks with the CAA’s officers and employee unions to address their concerns regarding airport outsourcing. The then Aviation Minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique, extended an invitation to the heads of these unions for discussions on the matter. However, these negotiations failed to yield a resolution.