The flight attendant, identified as Maryam Raza, worked on flight PK 782 from Islamabad精东影业 Benazir Bhutto International Airport (ISB) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) on February 26, 2024.

Raza, who worked for PIA for 15 years, did not show up during the scheduled return flight, PK 784 from YYZ Airport to Jinnah International Airport (KHI) in Karachi. 

Authorities and colleagues initiated a search of Raza精东影业 room at the hotel layover, where it was discovered that she had left a note in Urdu reading 鈥淪hukriya PIA,鈥� which translates as 鈥淭hank you, PIA鈥�.

Raza精东影业 airline uniform was also found in the hotel room.

Raza is the 10th PIA flight attendant to disappear during a Canadian layover. 

Due to the frequency of its flight attendants going missing in Canada, PIA imposed stricter rules on its flights to Canada as of December 2023. These rules require rostering only flight attendants over the age of 50 to Canada and tighter monitoring of crew during layovers.

In January 2024, an airline spokesperson was quoted by Middle East media outlet The Media Line, attributing the disappearances to 颁补苍补诲补精东影业 lenient migration laws. 

鈥淭here is no failure [on the part of the airline] as we have tried to put in the most stringent possible efforts to curtail that. However, the laws of Canada are so liberal that those measures become counter-effective,鈥� the spokesperson said.

Another Pakistan International Airlines flight attendant disappears in Canada

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-01-26

, the country精东影业 caretaker administration, which has been in place since August 2023 with a view to organizing the next general election, has finalized the details for the sale of the Pakistan精东影业 flag carrier.聽

The sale has long been under discussion as the country has struggled to restructure its public finances. So far, though, all previous governments have shied away from making a decision about the airline’s future. 

Although the final formula and price of the sale are not yet known, it is expected that the transaction will take into consideration the recommendations of advisory firm Ernst & Young, which delivered a 1,100-page report to the government in December 2023. 

Loss-making PIA has debts amounting to 785 billion Pakistani rupees (around US$2.8 billion), which are set to be parked in a separate entity in order to sell the rest of the airline free of liabilities.  

The new government has also introduced legal changes that will allow it to sell off its majority stake in the company. 

In the meantime, the government will need to inject another 23.7 billion Pakistani rupees (around US$85 million) into the airline to keep it afloat for five to six months before the sale can be completed, according to Reuters quoting unnamed PIA sources. 

The privatization of PIA is also expected to facilitate negotiations between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with regards to future financial assistance packages. 

Pakistani media outlet reported that Ayaz Qureshi, a male flight attendant, worked on a flight from Islamabad International Airport (ISB) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

However, Qureshi did not show up for the flight精东影业 scheduled return to Islamabad and could not be found. The flight had to return with one less cabin crew member on duty.

Third in less than a month

Qureshi is the third flight attendant from the Pakistani flag carrier to have vanished after a flight to Canada. 

On November 13, 2023, two flight attendants who arrived in Toronto after working on flight PK 772 from Islamabad did not show up for the return flight to Pakistan.

The same incident occurred in October 2022. ARY News said that at least a dozen flight attendants from PIA have disappeared on flights to Canada and Europe over the last decade.

Stricter measures

To prevent further cases, PIA reportedly implemented stricter measures on flights to Canada and Europe. 

颁补苍补诲补精东影业 said the airline had set an age limit for flight attendants to work on those routes. PIA will now only allow those who are aged 50 and above to be rostered on those flights, on the assumption that younger cabin crew are more likely to pull a disappearing act.

The airline will also carry out more frequent checks and improve communication with staff during layovers.

Canada to blame?

Addressing the case of disappearing employees, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan toldthat the Canadian government精东影业 鈥渓iberal鈥� asylum program is to blame. 

鈥淭he reason for this is an overly liberal asylum and asylum program by the Canadian government,鈥� Khan said. 鈥淲e normally terminate the services of such individuals and penalize them by denying them of any benefits.鈥�

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a person can claim asylum at a Canadian airport. 

According to the UNHCR, to gain , a person needs to show that they cannot return to their country of nationality or residence because they fear persecution for at least one of the following reasons: 

• Race or nationality
• Religion
• Member of a particular social group
• Political opinion
• Risk to your life or cruel and inhuman treatment 
• Risk of torture

Pakistan Airlines flight attendant missing after landing in Toronto

• Civil Aviation

byJean Carmela Lim

2022-10-21

The publicly owned airline had already received a 15.6 billion Pakistani Rupee (US$51 million) support package back in May 2023.聽聽

The rejection of the airline精东影业 petition adds to several woes afflicting the airline. In the first months of 2023, PIA faced multiple legal challenges from its creditors, including aircraft lessors and airport operators, and has had assets repossessed in several jurisdictions due to lack of payment. 

Also, 11 of the airline精东影业 31 aircraft are grounded, with three in a state deemed beyond repair.  

PIA精东影业 problems also extend to its operations.  

In 2020, the airline was banned from operating in the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) following a scandal concerning the fraudulent obtention of some of its pilots鈥� licenses. More recently, PIA has been rocked by repeated flight delays and issues with delivering passenger luggage on time.  

The latter incidents earned PIA a fine from the Pakistani government. 

In August 2023, the Pakistani government announced its intention to privatize the airline, which is expected to post a 112 billion Pakistani Rupee (US$365 million) loss in 2023, since it is deemed to be financially unviable in its current form. 

Loss-making Pakistan International Airlines to be privatized聽

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

1 minute read

In a statement on August 7, 2023, the government announced that the Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCoP) held a meeting where attendees, including the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, considered a proposal that PIA should enter the country精东影业 the privatization program.聽聽

鈥淭he CCoP after deliberation decided to include Pakistan International Airlines Co. Ltd (PIACL) in the list of active privatization projects of the ongoing privatization program, following an amendment in the law by the Parliament,鈥� the statement said. 

Additionally, the CCop also gave the green light for a financial adviser to be found to process the transaction of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, an asset of PIA Investment Limited (PIA-IL). 

In July 2020, the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) suspended the PIA精东影业 license for flights to European countries.  

The suspension came following a pilot license scandal in which Pakistan精东影业 Civil Aviation Authority suspected active Pakistani pilots had cheated during mandatory pilot exams. 

According to , in July 2023, Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said he hoped flights to the United Kingdom (UK) would resume over the next few months.聽聽

“God willing, the PIA flights will resume at least to the UK in three months, and, later, flights to Europe and America will resume,” he said. 

In June 2023, Pakistan secured a $3 billion a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

Greek startup airline plans to link Athens to Aegean islands with helicopters聽

• Airlines

byMiquel Ros

2024-07-03

This has certainly proved to be the case with the earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023, causing widespread destruction and tens of thousands of deaths. 

Airlines from all over the world have rushed to join the rescue and relief efforts by contributing their most essential assets: their aircraft. 

A few days ago, we explained how the two largest airlines in Turkey, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus, were supporting these efforts (and to that we should also add SunExpress, another airline based in the country).

Airlines in Turkey mobilize to aid earthquake victims

• Airlines

byMiquel Ros

3 minute read

Now, assorted聽other carriers have聽deployed聽aircraft to fly emergency teams and supplies to the affected area.聽

We have compiled a (non-exhaustive) list of airlines that have announced their participation in some way or another, within聽the massive international rescue operation that has been ongoing over聽the last two weeks.聽

Qatar Airways and Azerbaijan Airlines were among the first to send aircraft loaded with emergency aid;聽

Emirates  struck, going on to establish what it calls 鈥榓 humanitarian air bridge鈥� to bring over 100 tons of supplies, in close coordination with several aid and relief agencies. 

Vueling dispatched聽an A320 from Barcelona to Gaziantep airport (GZT), one of the closest to the disaster area, with eight聽tons of aid provided by the Spanish and Catalan Red Cross organizations;聽聽

Another airline based in Spain, charter operator Wamos,聽has played its part in聽relief work聽too, flying, on an Airbus A330, a team composed of 111 rescue workers and 3 dogs;

British Airways operated a relief flight in conjunction with Khalsa Aid;

Lufthansa got involved by sending over one of its Boeing 777 cargo aircraft;

The same aircraft type (although in a passenger configuration) deployed to the area by Portuguese operator Euroatlantic;

Relations between Greece and Turkey are usually tense, but such differences can be聽temporarily put aside when disaster strikes. Aegean Airlines has been deploying several of its aircraft to support the relief operations in south-eastern Turkey.

Austrian Airlines flew emergency teams, including some dogs, to Turkey and back;

And Czech airline Smartwings has made its own contribution to the cause;聽

Airplanes belonging to聽Pakistan International Airlines, Saudia and Middle Eastern Airlines have also been聽among those rushing聽to the region;

El Al sent over several planes as part of the relief effort,聽in聽addition to which the Israeli airline has announced the resumption of regular flights to Turkey after a 16-year hiatus;

And last but not least, airlines from as far afield as Mongolia精东影业 MIAT have been operating in the disaster area.聽

Negotiations are scheduled to on October 25, 2022, according to Pakistan news channel Samaa. The delegation of Pakistan CAA, which includes the deputy director general as well as other leaders of the authority, will meet officials of the European Commission to report on measures the authority has taken to improve the level of operational safety.  

The Pakistan regulator aims to highlight the work done to pass an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) audit, in the hope that its airlines will regain permission to fly. 

Pakistan Airlines flight attendant missing after landing in Toronto

• Civil Aviation

byJean Carmela Lim

2022-10-21

Why is PIA banned from flying in Europe? 

PIA was added to the EU Air Safety List in July 2020, meaning the airline is suspended from operating in the European Union, due to safety concerns after the pilot license scandal and the crash of PIA PK8303 in Karachi. 

The pilot license scandal erupted following the preliminary report into the PK8303 crash, which killed 97 people on May 22, 2020.鈥疶he Airbus A320 touched down without the landing gear deployed. The crew attempted a go-around but the engines sustained damage and then failed, with the aircraft crashing short of the runway. Crew action was cited as a factor in the crash.  

An investigation by Pakistan精东影业 CAA revealed that 262 out of 860 active Pakistani pilots had cheated during mandatory pilot exams and did not actually attend them.  

PIA sets new rules for crew: passports held, mobility restricted

• Airlines

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2021-02-02

Both the United States and the United Kingdom followed Europe精东影业 example and banned the airline from operating in their airspace.鈥� 

In January 2022, ICAO announced the results of a 10-day safety audit, where it confirmed that the Pakistan CAA had resolved a safety concern that resulted from a 2020 scandal regarding the fake pilot licenses. At the time, ICAO said its validation committee reviewed the action taken by Pakistan to address the Significant Safety Concern (SCC) and determined that actions taken by Pakistan精东影业 CAA had successfully resolved the issued SCC. 

The Samaa report said that the European Commission will visit Pakistan in 2023 to review the steps taken. 

Aijaz Ali Shah was working on flight PK 781 from Islamabad International Airport (ISB), which arrived in Toronto on October 14, 2022, 16:00 local time.

A PIA spokesperson confirmed to Canadian media outlet that Shah did not make it to the crew bus taking airline staff members to their layover hotel following airport immigration.

鈥淏oth the flight purser and our station manager [in] Toronto kept on calling his given numbers for two days but no response,鈥� PIA精东影业 official spokesperson Abdullah H. Khan said in an email sent to Global News.

Shah was reported to Canadian authorities when he did not report to the airline精东影业 return flight to Islamabad.

According to the PIA spokesperson, this is the third incident in 2022 where a cabin crew has gone missing in Canada. 

Another airline spokesperson confirmed to a Pakistani media outlet that during the past two years alone, a after their flight landed in Canada, presumably to obtain citizenship.

Six months detention: Canadian flight crew still detained in Dominican Republic

• Civil Aviation

byJean Carmela Lim

2022-10-06

 

The new flight operation was first revealed by Pakistan精东影业 Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan in .

Khan said that PIA initially plans two weekly flights between Karachi, Lahore and Sydney, with Islamabad to be added later. 

He also said that as there were no direct flights between Pakistan and Australia, it took around 35 hours to reach the country with stopovers in between.

Australia! The Wait is over! is starting direct flights between & . 鈬�
Stay Tuned for more details.

鈥� PIA (@Official_PIA)

The flight plans were later confirmed by PIA精东影业 general manager of corporate communications Abdullah Hafeez in an . 

PIA will use its fleet of Boeing 777-200LR for the Australian flights. Flight number PK-9808 will depart for Sydney from Lahore International airport on April 22, 2022, with the return flight scheduled to depart Sydney on April 24, 2022.

Based on information from Sydney International Airport精东影业 (SYD) website, PIA will use Terminal 1 at SYD.

According to the there are more than 90,000 Pakistani-born people in Australia, which is more than three times the number (27,250) recorded in June 2009.  

Pakistan International Airlines to resume flights to UK in February

• Airlines

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2022-01-18

 

According to the official PIA , Pakistan精东影业 national flag carrier will resume passenger flights from Jinnah International鈥疉irport鈥�(KHI) in Karachi and Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE) in Lahore to London from February 10, 2022.  

From February 12, 2022, the airline will also expand its flight schedule with air connectivity services from Islamabad (ISB). A one-way ticket between Karachi (KHI) and London (LHR) will cost travelers up to 鈧�39 (PKR77,750). Flights from Lahore (LHE) will be offered at the same price. 

The move comes just weeks after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) withdrew restrictions barring PIA from flying to the UK. The ICAO confirmed that the carrier had resolved a safety concern following a 2020 scandal, which revealed a large number of Pakistani pilots held dubious commercial pilot licenses. 

PIA Boeing 777 diverts to Karachi due to cracked cockpit window

• Airlines

by精东影业 Team

2021-12-20

Earlier in January 2022, in a letter to Khan Murtaza, the director-general of Pakistan CAA, the authority revealed the conclusions of its 10-day safety audit, which was conducted in December 2021. The ICAO confirmed that its validation committee had reviewed the action taken by Pakistan to address the Significant Safety Concern (SCC) and determined that Pakistan精东影业 CAA had successfully resolved the issued SCC.鈥�� 

Having passed the ICAO safety audit, Pakistan CAA has raised new hopes for state-registered airlines regaining permission for flight operations to the United States, the United Kingdom, and European countries. The move offers PIA a chance to return to its key international markets. 

PIA Airbus A320 diverts to Islamabad following reports of technical faults

• Airlines

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2021-12-13