Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB) is going to be divided into two separate agencies.
Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism sources has informed so.
One agency will be the regulatory authority of civil aviation sector and another one will be the Service Provider Authority.
The Regulatory Authority will supervise the service providers and enforce the law and the Service Provider Authority will work to ensure facilities of the airports.
In other countries, regulatory agencies only supervise the activities of the service providers and enforce the law. However, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh is also providing services along with performing its controller role. But before 1986, there were two separate agencies in Bangladesh for these two types of work.
This decision is being implemented in accordance with the recommendations of the ICAO and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
For a long time, the ICAO was asking for two separate agencies- Regulatory and Service Providers. Newly they appointed three consultants were from ICAO who gave a guideline.
A proposal has already been approved by the Finance Ministry for this. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, it will be possible to imply the recommendations in the next two years.
Ministry sources said As the Civil Aviation Authority works both as the regulator and service provider; they are unable to ensure hundred percent services and accountability.
The regulatory authority will ensure that supervision and law enforcement-if the airports and airlines are working properly, whether they are following the law and providing appropriate services.
On the other hand, the Service Provider agency will ensure all types of services including all the security of the airport, development and renovation activities of the engineering departments, communication, operation etc.
Wing Commander Chowdhury M Zia-Ul Kabir, Director (Flight Safety and Regulations) Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh told the Bangla Tribune, ‘Three consultants were appointed from to make two separate agencies. They gave a draft guideline. We need two to three years to establish two separate agencies. And in the intermediate period, we will follow the guideline given by ICAO.’
Abul Hasnat Md. Ziaul Haque, Additional Secretary (Biman & Civil Aviation) told the Bangla Tribune, ‘According to guidelines of ICAO, the regulatory and service providers work as two separate organizations across the world. If the regularity authority functions as the service provider then accountability cannot be ensured. For this reason, we have decided to start separate agencies for two separate types of tasks.’
It is to be noted that the Civil Aviation Authority is working as a security and service provider of all the Airports including Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, and Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong.
At the same time, the Civil Aviation Authority regulates foreign airlines and the service provider companies in the airports.
