CAA suspends Serene Air’s flight operations 

KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has suspended Serene Air’s flight operations, citing non-compliance with aviation safety regulations, ARY News reported citing an official notification issued on Friday.

The CAA stated that Serene Air has failed to maintain the required operational standards and currently does not have even a single airworthy aircraft available for service. As a result, the authority has also ordered the airline to return its Air Operator Certificate.

The notification underlined that Serene Air has been unable to ensure full compliance with the mandatory safety and operational requirements for commercial flights.

In response, the airline management explained that one of its aircraft had been grounded in Saudi Arabia after a bird strike incident. The company has requested the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to allow it to operate special flights to bring back stranded passengers from Saudi Arabia.

The decision has raised concerns among passengers, as Serene Air was operating several domestic and international routes before the suspension.

Also Read: President Zardari encourages Serene Air CEO to expand fleet in Pakistan

Earlier, the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Serene Air Yunchun Yang called on President Asif Ali Zardari in Kashgar, China, informing him of the airline’s future plans for operations in Pakistan.

During the meeting, President Zardari encouraged the airlines to increase the number of aircraft in its fleet to enhance domestic and international connectivity and strengthen its aviation network within Pakistan.

The meeting was also attended by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, and the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, according to a press release issued by the President’s Secretariat Press Wing.

Dr Yang holds a Ph.D. from the University of California and is also founder and president of a listed semiconductor company in China with subsidiaries in Sweden and the USA. He assured the president of his commitment to invest further in Serene Air’s operations in Pakistan.

Serene Air is the first Chinese private investment in Pakistan’s aviation sector and the first private Pakistani airline to operate flights to Beijing.

Dr Yang also highlighted the company’s collaborative projects with the Pakistan Air Force on JF-17 avionics.