IATA & Global Media Outlets Startled After Shocking News Regarding PIA Pilots

International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade association of 290 international airlines, has termed the disclosure of 150 of Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) pilots employed by the national carrier with fake licenses as a serious lapse in the safety protocols.

Minister for Aviation, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, made this startling revelation earlier this week in the National Assembly while presenting the interim investigation report on the PIA’s PK-8303 crash on May 22 in Karachi.


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Yesterday, PIA spokesperson, Abdullah Hafeez, however, confirmed that 150 out of PIA’s 434 have been fired on account of possessing fake licenses.

In line with the development, IATA released an official statement, stating that the association is keeping tabs on Pakistan:

We are following reports from Pakistan regarding fake pilot licenses, which are concerning and represent a serious lapse in the licensing and safety oversight by the aviation regulator.

While the revelation made by Aviation Minister rattled everyone in Pakistan, the scandalous dereliction by the PIA in vetting the licenses before hiring pilots has marred Pakistan’s image internationally.


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Here are some of the snippets from the reports on the development in the foreign media.

CNN reported:

Almost 1 in 3 pilots in Pakistan have fake licenses, Aviation Minister says.

Deutsche Welle said:

Pakistan’s top airline PIA to ground some 150 pilots over ‘dubious’ licenses

Washington Post headline said:

Pakistan to ground 150 pilots for cheating to get licenses

Telegraph said:

Pakistan national airline grounds third of pilots over dubious licenses


    • Read what BBC Urdu has investigated and found. No degree requirements to get a license. Theiry part is 5% and practical is 95%. Those pilots who were flying since many years had theory test in 2012 and this is where this all started.

      Many pilots fired by PIA now serve in airlines in GCC countries.

  • No better time to lay off these greedy pilots then now. Usually they go on strike when any action is taken, now they cant as it does not matter given the level of operations.

  • First they said to reveal the truth and now that the truth has been revealed they say why did you revealed the truth.
    Hypocrisy of Pakistani Opposition Member.

  • ‘Pure’ Pakistan in full view! The only logical answer is to ban all PIA flights originating from Pakistan for the safety of everyone. I assume there would still be people defending them but then again this is Pakistan, the land of the ‘pure’!

  • They shouldn’t have revealed this in front of everybody. They should’ve been fired quietly

  • How is this even surprising? The only logical answer is to ban all PIA flights originating from Pakistan for the safety of everyone


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