Staff Reporter
Lahore
The Civil Aviation Authority has suspended licenses of 34 more pilots of the Pakistan International Airlines suspected of holding fake degrees.
According to a notification issued by the aviation authority, licenses will remain suspended till the inquiry against the pilots has not been completed.
Separately, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency on Tuesday ordered its member states to bar Pakistani pilots from working.
The EASA has asked its member countries for details of Pakistani pilots. The letter sent to the member states by EASA stated that the CAA has revealed irregularities in the issuance of 40% of licences.
Moreover, EASA in its letter recommended member states ‘not to schedule such pilots for operations performed under their TCO consideration’.
The letter stated that this is a matter of concern in the aviation industry. It further stated that complaints have been received about fake licences in contravention of international rules and regulations.
Meanwhile, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Association (IFALPA) called Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar’s statement “reckless” and offers to assist Pakistan in the ongoing investigation of flight PK 8303.
The organisation also offered to be part of any task force that is created to deal with the licensing scandal as well.
In the letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Canada-based organization proposes providing its expertise to help probe the Pakistan International Airlines’ flight that crashed in May killing 97 people.
“We are not here to blame but to provide our expertise to find the truth,” wrote Captain Jack Netskar, president of IFALPA, to “enhance aviation safety and restore confidence in the Pakistani aviation system.”
“The international pilot community is deeply concerned about the unfounded statements made by the Pakistani Minister for Aviation declaring that many Pakistani commercial pilots hold licenses that, in his words, are ‘fake’,” the letter adds, “We find these statements on the brink of being reckless not just for the individuals named, but for Pakistan and its ability to continue operating international air services.”
The president of IFALPA admits that there are problems within the PIA, but adds that these problems can be dealt with the help of independent international bodies such as IFALPA, IATA and ICAO.
“It is our desire to see PIA return to its historical place as an aviation leader in the region. We want this for the people of Pakistan, the employees of PIA and our PALPA colleagues.”
The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Association represents more than 140,000 professional pilots around the world in nearly 100 countries. The Pakistani Airline Pilots Association is also a member of IFALPA.
