Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has been dealt a blow in its case against Shaheen Air International (Karachi International), with the Sindh High Court (SHC) in Karachi preventing the regulator from forcing the carrier to apply for a new license.

As previously reported, the CAA had warned Shaheen that it faced suspension for failing to properly complete its Regular Public Transport (RPT) documents. Shaheen subsequently filed a petition to the court asking it to intervene. The court found that there was no basis in law for the CAA to demand Shaheen complete a new RPT, and that its license was issued twenty-six years ago.

In a statement, Shaheen said that the court also found that the CAA could not withhold the use of an aerobridge as a punitive measure for failing to pay certain fees, as long as Shaheen maintained its repayment schedule.

Shaheen had strongly criticised the CAA for what it perceives as the unfair treatment of private airlines in Pakistan. Chief Commercial Officer Faisal Rafique claimed that Shaheen had incurred significant losses due to the CAA's delay in awarding route authorities, the latest for a planned Muscat - Multan route, and called for the sacking of CAA's Director General, Asim Suleiman.

The CAA responded to that allegation, claiming that Shaheen had submitted its application just days before planned commencement of the route. However, Shaheen says that it filed a permission letter on March 20, with a follow-up letter on April 5 but received no response. Under Pakistan's Civil Aviation Rules, a properly submitted timetable is deemed approved if no answer has been received from the Director-General within a month.

"In this case stopping the Multan – Muscat flight from departure was illegal and unjust," Shaheen's statement says.

A spokesperson for the CAA has refuted Shaheen's side of events. CAA Director of Coordination and Media Management Syed Aamir Mehboob told The Daily Tribune that the court had not made any statement regarding the RPT and had, in fact, directed Shaheen to pay its dues of PKR480 million (USD4.5 million).