CAA Asks FIA to Take Action Against Shaheen Airline’s Owners

The owners of Shaheen Air International have been under heavy scrutiny. The Sehbai brothers – owners of the airline have committed allegedly a fraud of over Rs 1.3 billion and the Civil Aviation Authority fears that the brothers might escape the country.

According to some credible sources, the tax collected by Shaheen International Airline from its passengers on behalf of CAA was not submitted to the relevant aviation authorities. Instead, the brothers have pocketed the money and have not handed the money to CAA for several months.

CAA has urged the FIA to take swift action against the SAI owners. Sources report that a complaint has been launched by the CAA director Syed Muzaffar Alam against the management and CEO of Shaheen International Airline (SAI) for “illegally holding the authority’s Rs 1.368 Billion”. The official of CAA, in the complaint, states that Ehsan Khalid Sehbai (CEO), Kashif Khalid Sehbai (chairman) and the management of SAI have been “illegally holding since March and have failed to return the amount to CAA”.

“There is a serious apprehension that Ehsan Sehbai, Kashif Sehbai, and (members of) SAI management are likely to flee the country with a criminal intent for causing loss to the public, (national) exchequer,” the complaint states. “Therefore, it is requested that action may be initiated against these culprits and other persons who are directly or indirectly involved in the commission of offenses, at the earliest. Copies of proof of collection of amounts as agent and dues are attached.”

SAI has been struggling financially in recent times. CAA suspended SAI’s all flight operations except the Hajj-related flights. A representative of SAI stated, “The airline’s management also plans to hold talks with the CAA to sort out the issues and get its flight operations resumed.”

Sources have also informed that a large number of SAI employees have been protesting since they were not paid their salaries while the representative of SAI states that a majority of the employees have been paid except a few due to Eid Holidays.