The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has lost more than Rs28 billion as aeronautical charges due to the closure and reduction of global air operations and air travel restrictions, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

The main reason behind was the ratio of overflying is low and now CAA's total deficit has exceeded Rs30.50 billion from March till July 15. “More than a thousand daily flights that cross through Pakistan's airspace have decreased now by 22 to 25 percent,” Aviation Division sources said.

The sources maintained that CAA has been losing Rs200 million daily and aviation regulator will be suffering a further loss of over Rs1.2 billion every week till the complete restoration of international flights.

“The loss to the CAA was due to a lack of international flights in terms of aeronautical charges,” Abdul Sattar Khokhar, Senior Joint Secretary, Aviation Division said, the TV channel reported.

On July 13, the 24NewsHD TV report stated that amid global coronavirus pandemic and the closure of flight operations for the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States are expected to cost the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) more than Rs100 billion this year and made it difficult for the national airline to meet its revenue target. The TV channel quoting its sources maintained that the national carrier will be expected to have a loss of more than Rs100 billion.

PIA had set a revenue target of Rs 196 billion. PIA incurred a loss of over Rs 280 million on five flights due to closure of operations to the United States. Then the PIA ‘dubious’ licences of pilots’ scandal hit hard the national carrier resultantly multiple countries ban the PIA flight operations. Later it was proved by the CAA that only 28 pilots were holding the dubious licences and verified over 150 pilots licenses.

On July 16, the TV channel reported that Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority admitted that licences of all the pilots were genuine contrary to claim of Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan in the National Assembly that 262 pilots had fake licences.