Pak airlines' operations to UAE normal

Flight operations of Pakistan's airlines to the UAE are normal and unlikely to face any major issues immediately for not upgrading their aircraft to the new Airborne Collision Avoidance System, or ACAS, Khaleej Times has learnt.
The spokespersons for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Shaheen Air International (SIA) and airblue said their flight operations to the UAE is going smoothly as per schedule and they have submitted a waiver request to upgrade systems of certain aircraft by April next year.
"PIA flight operations to the UAE are going as per schedule. We have applied for waiver for the A310 and some of the A320 aircraft operating to the UAE cities until April 2016," Syed Ishaq Hussain, PIA regional manager for the UAE and the Middle East, told Khaleej Times on Tuesday.
Clarifying media reports about imposition of restrictions on the use of UAE's airspace without upgrading to ACAS, he said the new system has already been installed on airline's Boeing 777 and six A-320 aircraft.
"The airline has six A320 aircraft without ACAS [being used for UAE operations] and A-310 operating on Islamabad route."
"The airline is phasing out these A-310 planes and in process to upgrade the remaining A-320 with new system," he added.
On Tuesday, six PIA flights were scheduled from Pakistan's various cities to the UAE. It includes PK 217 Peshawar-Abu Dhabi; PK 203 Lahore-Abu Dhabi; PK 213 Karachi-Dubai; PK 263 Lahore-Abu Dhabi; PK 283 Peshawar-Dubai and PK 233 Islamabad-Dubai.
In a statement, the PIA spokesperson in Karachi said that UAE authorities had imposed these restrictions giving three days notice to PIA to upgrade its aircraft using their airspace to the new ACAS version, which is otherwise valid till January 1, 2016.
The PIA chairman has also asked the concerned department to speed up efforts to upgrade the remaining aircraft to this version of ACAS, according to the statement.
Moreover, Shaheen Air regional director Shafqat Ullah Khan said Shaheen Air operations to UAE are going as per schedule.
"All Shaheen Air flights to UAE are operating normally. Our headquarters in Islamabad is taking care of the issue," Khan told Khaleej Times.
An airblue spokesperson also echoed the similar views and said airline's operations are unlikely to get an adverse affect due to restrictions imposed by the UAE authorities.
"There is no disruption and change in airblue flights to UAE. Our flights are operating smoothly," the spokesperson told Khaleej Times.
Airblue is one of the popular airline operates more than 60 flights to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah from all major cities of the country.
- muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com