European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) halts PIA flights to all the European countries for 6 months citing the 30% pilots with fake flying licenses claim.
UPDATE: European Union has granted temporary permission to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate flights till July 3.
The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) banned Pakistan International Airline to operate in European Union countries for the next six months when the reports emerged from Pakistan regarding the dubious pilot license scandal.
UK Civil Aviation Authority also suspended PIA operations temporarily from three of its main airports which include Heathrow, Manchester, and Birmingham airport.
The European Union 6 months PIA flights ban will be effective from July 3, 2020, and PIA has all the right to appeal against the decision.
PIA official twitter handle tweeted that PIA is in touch with EASA to allay their concerns and hopes that the suspension will be revoked soon.
EASA has suspended PIA’s permission to operate to EU member states for 6 months w.e.f July 1, 2020: 0000Hrs UTC. PIA is in touch with EASA to allay their concerns and hopes that the suspension will be revoked with our CBMs soon.
— PIA (@Official_PIA) June 30, 2020
According to the Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, there were 262 pilots whose license was labeled doubtful.
PALPA Criticizes Government List
Pakistan Airline Pilots Association (PALPA) and union raised serious questions about the government list which enlist 262 pilots with doubtful qualifications.
From 262 pilots with dubious license, 141 pilots are linked with PIA, 9 are associated with Air Blue, 10 pilots are allied with Serene Airline and 17 dubious license holders are from Shaheen Airline.
The PALPA rejects the government made list by saying it is full of discrepancy as 36 of the pilots among 141 are retired or moved out, Air Blue also shared their views that 7 out of 9 names are not working for the Airline. PALPA demands a judicial investigation.
The issue of fake pilot’s license sparked when an airline crashed in the Karachi, Pakistani last month in which 97 souls departed with 2 survivors. While presenting the crash investigation report in the national parliament, the aviation minister mentioned the plane’s pilot did not follow standard procedures and ignored alarms.
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