Pakistan International Airlines Archives

Threat of Omani airspace ban looms over PIA

21Jul

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Threat of Omani airspace ban looms over PIA

A threat of a ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights in the airspace of Oman looms large as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) assured them that credentials of all pilots had been scrutinized to ensure flight safety.While expressing concern over the recent safety issue with the PIA, the Omani Civil Aviation Authority warned Pakistan that the national flag carrier could be barred from using its airspace, sources said.They added that the Omani authorities also asked Islamabad to explain what curative measures had been taken to ensure safety of flights.Earlier, the European Union Air Safety Agency suspended PIA authorization to operate to the EU member states for six months.The International Air Transport Association (IATA) also shared its concern over the serious lapse in the l...

Pakistan’s global image continues to worsen, PIA suspension in EU latest fallout

14Jul

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Pakistan’s global image continues to worsen, PIA suspension in EU latest fallout

The case of dubious licenses of Pakistani pilots have further worsened the image of Pakistan on the international front.Despite easing of covid-lockdown measures, Pakistanis are not allowed to enter various European countries.And now the suspension of flight services by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in European countries is the latest fallout in line."Unbelievable! First, Pakistanis not allowed to enter various countries. Then Gulf Airlines refusing to come to Pakistan. Now PIA not allowed into EU! Thank you Selectors and Captain of Team Pakistan!" said Najam Sethi, noted Pakistani journalist in a tweet.Due to the outbreak of coronavirus, Pakistan has also not been included in the draft list of 54 countries that will benefit from the reopening of the European Union's external borde...

Vietnam grounds all Pakistani pilots over dubious license scandal

10Jul

By Nectar GanNo Comments

Vietnam grounds all Pakistani pilots over dubious license scandal

Amid global concerns that some Pakistani pilots may have been using “dubious” licenses, the Vietnam’s aviation authority on June 29 decided to ground all Pakistani pilots working for local airlines.The Pakistan government in the same month had said that it would ground 262 airline pilots whose credentials may have been falsified, after global airlines body IATA said that irregularities found in pilot licenses at in Pakistan represent a “serious lapse” in safety controls.“The head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has ordered a suspension for all Pakistani pilots working for Vietnamese airlines,” the CAAV said in a statement.The suspension will be in effect until further notice from CAAV, it said, adding that the authority was coordinating with Pakistani authorities to revie

SP Pakistan’s traditional allies in Gulf plan to suspend Pakistan origin pilots in their carriers

7Jul

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

SP Pakistan’s traditional allies in Gulf plan to suspend Pakistan origin pilots in their carriers

Pakistan’s traditional allies in the Gulf have reportedly grounded Pakistan origin pilots after the issue of commercial pilots possessing suspicious licenses came to light, casting a long shadow on the future of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates besides Oman are now among the countries which have decided to remove pilots of Pakistan origin due to a fake license issue.There are reports that Kuwait Airways, one of the oldest Airways in West Asia has grounded all its seven pilots of Pakistani origin.A UK-based Pakistani-origin journalist Gul Bukhari had tweeted, “Kuwait Airways has grounded all 7 Pakistani pilots and suspended 56 engineers and ground handling staff in the backdrop of fake license issue. Similar reports from Qatar, Oman, Emirates and Vie

Credibility crisis hits Pakistan International Airlines, CAA over ‘dubious licenses’ of pilots

2Jul

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Credibility crisis hits Pakistan International Airlines, CAA over ‘dubious licenses’ of pilots

After the disclosure of Pakistan’s minister for Aviation about fake and dubious licenses of pilots, the credibility of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has taken a massive hit.The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has also expressed concern over the ‘serious lapse in the licensing and safety oversight by the aviation regulator’.The controversy drew global attention after the federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan in the National Assembly declared that 150 pilots of the national flag carrier had fake licenses.Amid the aviation crisis, the PIA management has decided to ground one-third or 150 of its pilots and started relieving them from flight rosters for allegedly possessing ‘dubious licenses’, while asking the CAA to u