The UAE-based airlines M/s Emirates and M/s Etihad Airways are said to have sought additional 22 flight operations weekly to north Punjab, official sources told Business Recorder. Giving the background, the sources said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has directed the Aviation Division to submit its views on the request of the UAE Civil Aviation Authority for an increase in the frequency entitlements of Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways to north Punjab.
As per Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on June 2, 2015, the designated airlines of the UAE are utilizing all the entitled/ agreed frequencies. Presently weekly entitlements and current operations are 11 frequencies for Abu Dhabi-Lahore whereas the airlines have sought permission for 7 additional frequencies on this route.
The weekly current operations on Abu Dhabi-Islamabad route are 14 frequencies, and the airlines have requested 7 more frequencies. Current weekly operations of Emirates from Dubai to Lahore are 10 frequencies and the airline has approached for 4 more flights. For Dubai-Islamabad, the airlines has also sought allocation of additional 4 frequencies in addition to existing 10 frequencies
The sources said, PIACL maintains that an Air Services agreement is concluded with the objective of facilitating point to point (3rd/4th freedom) travel only between the contracting states. However, 5th freedom right to uplift traffic from second country destined for a third country is negotiated on commercial request, as a special arrangement.
According to sources Government of Pakistan during 2011-2016 accorded approvals to other carriers, especially to airlines of UAE not corresponding with the aviation growth. This imbalance deprived domestic airlines in general and PIA in particular from expanding their operations. As a result, the domestic airlines had to shrink their network and face reduction in sales volume. PIA has strongly recommended that request of UAE may not be acceded to as this approval will be extremely detrimental not only for PIA but also for other national airlines.
Civil Aviation Authority has also not recommended increase in the frequencies entitlements for UAE designated airlines on the ground that the objective of providing travel facilities to Pakistan residing in UAE stands fulfilled because of enhancement of entitlement of the designated airlines of UAE from 125 weekly frequencies to 244 weekly frequencies in 2015.
The Aviation Division maintains that the existing agreement between the two states does not allow grant of additional frequencies to the designated airlines of UAE. Any increase in the frequencies will require an amendment to the existing Air Services Agreement in accordance with Rule 16(1) (h) of the Rules of Business, 1973. Moreover, grant of additional frequencies to the designated airlines of UAE will prompt other states to submit similar requests.
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