Irregularities in pilot licensing must not be ignored

We are alarmed by the findings of an investigation conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh's (CAAB) internal safety department, which uncovered numerous irregularities in pilot licensing and training programmes. Reportedly, there have been serious violations related to pilot licences issued by CAAB, many within the past two years. Two training institutions—Galaxy Flying Academy and Bangladesh Flying Academy—recommended pilot licences without candidates completing the mandatory solo flight hours. Other violations included a pilot certifying himself, one falsifying flight hours to meet licensing requirements, and the appointment of an unqualified check pilot by a training academy. A recent inspection by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) also discovered that written tests for pilots had been conducted using unauthorised software. These findings raise concerns about our aviation safety, which must be addressed.

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Licence to fly: Regulator repeatedly ignored red flags

There are three types of pilot licences: Private Pilot Licence (PPL) for basic certification; Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) for professional flying; and Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) for commanding commercial airliners, which is the highest certification and requires extensive training and flight experience. Worryingly, it has been found that the two above-mentioned training institutions recommended pilot licences for their students despite their failure to meet the mandatory flight requirements. Students reportedly skipped required stops on solo flights and did not follow the prescribed routes, raising concerns about whether their flying skills were properly tested. Both academies cited logistical challenges—such as engineer shortages and restricted access to certain airports—to justify these deviations. While experts argue that these issues could have been resolved with better resource allocation, such as placing engineers at transit airports or providing fuel at key locations, the problems remain unresolved.

Unfortunately, CAAB has been aware of many of these issues for a long time but has taken no action. The CAAB chairman has even downplayed concerns over training rule violations, stating that they do not pose a safety risk. Such a statement by the CAAB chief is unacceptable, particularly when their own investigation team found clear violations. We urge the regulatory body to take the investigation findings seriously, and undertake strict measures against those involved in the anomalies reported.

Irregularities were also found in pilot recruitment tests, with a company named A4Aero Ltd conducting exams since 2017 using software it fully controls. CAAB also failed to follow procurement rules, and the software was never tested for quality—despite CAAB being classified as Critical Information Infrastructure. Additionally, A4Aero was not officially registered when it began administering exams.

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Licence to fly: Pilots faked flying records

Unfortunately, CAAB has been aware of many of these issues for a long time but has taken no action. The CAAB chairman has even downplayed concerns over training rule violations, stating that they do not pose a safety risk. Such a statement by the CAAB chief is unacceptable, particularly when their own investigation team found clear violations. We urge the regulatory body to take the investigation findings seriously, and undertake strict measures against those involved in the anomalies reported. Action must also be taken against the pilots involved in corrupt practices. Furthermore, the authorities must ensure that the flying academies abide by the standard rules of pilot licensing. All these measures are necessary to ensure an efficient and safe aviation sector.