The number of workers in the Civil Aviation Administration has multiplied five times in 15 years, as their number is currently estimated at 7,800 employees, which reveals a defect in the use of the facility for electoral interests, with one of the former elected ministers appointing 1,600 employees, according to a report by Al Qabas. The sources revealed that the high financial incentives prompted many job seekers to resort to intermediaries for appointment in the facility, which caused the staff to swell and sag.
The sources indicated that despite the army of civil aviation workers, visitors to the country feel that time has stopped upon their arrival, and their complaints about the mistreatment of some employees due to lack of qualification are not heard.
In addition, the increase in the number of employees amounts to about four thousand. Comparing the figures with other international airports reveals the scale of the crisis, especially in comparison with international airports such as Hamad International Airport, Dubai, Istanbul or London Heathrow, which receive between 30 and 90 million passengers annually, showing the extent of the administrative imbalance in employment.
Moreover, while civil aviation receives about 12 million passengers annually, with an estimated 7,800 employees distributed over the Kuwait International Airport buildings, Zoom Info indicates that Hamad International Airport in Doha receives about 35 million passengers annually, with an estimated number of only 3,800 employees. According to the companies’ market cap website, many airports that receive tens of millions of passengers annually do not have more than five thousand employees, as employees at Vienna International Airport are approximately 4,874, and Tokyo Airport has about 2,729 employees, while Beijing International Airport in China has about 1,555 employees.
Despite the small number of workers in these huge airports, they offer ease of transportation by providing trains, entertainment for passengers and the availability of free zones with global capabilities, which is not available from services provided by civil aviation in terms of logistics services for passengers, noting that the T1 terminal is narrow, in which the movement of departures interferes with arrivals.
Informed sources indicated that the suspicions of profiteering, financial advantages, illegal release of allowances, and the exploitation of administrative laxity in biometric attendance and departure from work without effective supervision are all factors that encouraged many to turn to the facility without necessary qualifications.
The daily reported that some departments have more than 500 employees, working according to the 24-hour system in 48 hours of rest, explaining that working according to this system that enables the employee to obtain shift allowance motivated many to work according to this system. The sources mentioned that the position of the head of the General Administration of Civil Aviation and the general manager, have been vacant for three months. Furthermore, the position of Deputy Director General for Financial, Administrative and Legal Affairs has been vacant for four years, which affected regulating the issuance of decisions, reports and procedures for the movement of appointments in the administration.