ICAO puts B'desh aviation on 'safety concern' list
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Mashiur Rahaman
Bangladeshi aviation industry has been placed on the list of "Significant Safety Concern" by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit risking the country's multimillion dollar airline industry of being downgraded.
The audit report on June 22, 2009 expressed dissatisfaction over the action plan undertaken by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
It was a response to ICAO's earlier audit report that identified serious misconducts and mismanagement by the CAAB in issuing Air Operator Certificates (AOCs), a well placed source from the CAAB told the FE.
The Canada based UN agency that works for ensuring safe and orderly growth of international air transports has posted the audit report in its website.
Nepal was the only other Asian country on the ICAO list. Other eight countries in the list were all from the African continent.
The report labelled aviation industry of Bangladesh as a significant threat to the international aviation industry as they do not meet the minimum level of safety to operate, an independent aviation expert Imran Asif told the FE.
This will be a major drawback for the country's growing aviation industry, he said adding that both the public and private airline operators of the country will suffer due to this.
Elaborating the consequence of the enlistment, Mr Asif said Bangladeshi airline operators would lose acceptance by civil aviation authorities of other countries where scheduled flights are operated.
"If any Bangladeshi operator applies for a new route or a new entrepreneur intends to initiate business targeting a route, the host civil aviation authority is likely to reject such proposal," Mr Asif added.
"If this is truly because of the incompetent response by the CAAB as claimed by ICAO, we need to look into the root that made them do such offence," he said.
According to an insider, ICAO audit conducted from May 18 to 27, 2009 identified serious defaults particularly in the issuance process of AOCs by CAAB. It claimed that CAAB issues above mentioned certificates without ensuring full safety compliance according to the international standards.
The authority issued a letter directed to CAAB on June 6, 2009 listing number of objections along with recommendations to resolve those. The same letter also asked CAAB to take immediate corrective actions.
The ICAO recommendations particularly advised cancellation of AOC's of the operators who failed to meet the minimum (50 per cent) safety compliant standard.
Bangladeshi aviation industry has been placed on the list of "Significant Safety Concern" by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit risking the country's multimillion dollar airline industry of being downgraded.
The audit report on June 22, 2009 expressed dissatisfaction over the action plan undertaken by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
It was a response to ICAO's earlier audit report that identified serious misconducts and mismanagement by the CAAB in issuing Air Operator Certificates (AOCs), a well placed source from the CAAB told the FE.
The Canada based UN agency that works for ensuring safe and orderly growth of international air transports has posted the audit report in its website.
Nepal was the only other Asian country on the ICAO list. Other eight countries in the list were all from the African continent.
The report labelled aviation industry of Bangladesh as a significant threat to the international aviation industry as they do not meet the minimum level of safety to operate, an independent aviation expert Imran Asif told the FE.
This will be a major drawback for the country's growing aviation industry, he said adding that both the public and private airline operators of the country will suffer due to this.
Elaborating the consequence of the enlistment, Mr Asif said Bangladeshi airline operators would lose acceptance by civil aviation authorities of other countries where scheduled flights are operated.
"If any Bangladeshi operator applies for a new route or a new entrepreneur intends to initiate business targeting a route, the host civil aviation authority is likely to reject such proposal," Mr Asif added.
"If this is truly because of the incompetent response by the CAAB as claimed by ICAO, we need to look into the root that made them do such offence," he said.
According to an insider, ICAO audit conducted from May 18 to 27, 2009 identified serious defaults particularly in the issuance process of AOCs by CAAB. It claimed that CAAB issues above mentioned certificates without ensuring full safety compliance according to the international standards.
The authority issued a letter directed to CAAB on June 6, 2009 listing number of objections along with recommendations to resolve those. The same letter also asked CAAB to take immediate corrective actions.
The ICAO recommendations particularly advised cancellation of AOC's of the operators who failed to meet the minimum (50 per cent) safety compliant standard.