PIA Downgraded to a 1-Star Airline

Airline Ratings, the world’s best airline safety and product rating review website, has downgraded the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) ranking to a 1-star airline after it was revealed that a major chunk of its pilots held fake licenses.

Editor-in-Chief Airline Ratings, Geoffrey Thomas, has said:

Clearly, there needs to be an investigation into possible bribery and falsifying related to the pilot licenses. This is deeply disturbing as the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) audit and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) country audit should pick this up.


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Last month, Minister for Aviation, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, in the National Assembly while presenting the investigation report of PIA’s PK-8303 crash, had disclosed that 150 out of 434 PIA pilots possess fake licenses. Acting on the interim report, PIA immediately terminated all 150 pilots.

Following the shocking revelation, UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority has requested Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority to verify the licenses of all Pakistani pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, and flight operations officers serving in numerous airlines in the Gulf state.


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European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended Pakistan International Airline (PIA) authorization to operate in European Union member countries for the next 6 months. The ban comes into effect from today, 3 June.

Following in the footsteps of the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA), the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) suspended PIA’s operating permit as well.

Besides, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade association of 290 international airlines, had termed PIA’s failure to vet the licenses of pilots before hiring as a serious lapse in the safety protocols of the national flag carrier.


  • Fake Pilots To Fly With!

    While this recent dubious pilot licensing plot has certainly placed Pakistan on a nosedive course towards worst possible global scale humiliation, I’m now considering myself as a lucky person for the fact that never for once in my life, I boarded on a PIA flight for any destination.

    Those who were the “frequent fliers” on PIA, I’m now wondering about how they will “redeem” the points of their “frequent flyer miles”!!

    • You are talking about points redemption,, how about starting with ” Wow,, thanks to Allah,, I’m, still alive despite flying with PIA”. That ought to be a good start.

      • Read the first para of my comment once again as I’ve clearly mentioned:
        “I’m now considering myself as a lucky person for the fact that never for once in my life, I boarded on a PIA flight for any destination.”

        Secondly, since I’ve never boarded a PIA flight in my life (so far), I was wondering only for those who have boarded PIA flight for travel and thus my wondering about point redemption was only for them, not for myself. Read the second para of my comment for clarification.

        Have a nice day!

  • Date is incorrect where stated 3rd June. “The ban comes into effect from today, 3 June.”

    It should be 3rd July.

  • I dont get how naive we Pakistanis can be. The pilots were not incompetent but the minister is. From 40% they are now acknowledging only 4% with discrepancies and those too i am sure will be deemed innocent with minor discrepancies. In a single stroke they have not only destroyed PIA credibility along with Pakistan reputation just to salvage PIA assets

  • Yes indeed PIA is downgraded. If the Ministry and PIA work together, clear all the filth and set the direction, I bet PIA can regain its past glory within three to five years.

  • The corruption of Nawaz Sharif is haunting us and will haunt us in the coming years. NAB should launch a case against PMLN office bearers who have hired those fake pilots. Shame on PMLN and all Patwaris for bringing bad name to Pakista.

    • And how are you making patwaris responsible for this may I ask? What an illogical comment and one that can be offensive to many kashmiris. Think before you write.

    • For your information there are many peaceful, loving educated phatwaris in Pakistan and all over the world. I am a proud kashmiri and I live in the UK and I qualified as a Solicitor. I know many kashmiris in prestigious posts. Do not write hate comments.

      • Could you please briefly explain how a Patwari is the same as a Kashmiri? Patwaris are land record holders, manipulators, mafias.
        Too sensitive or too conscious of being Kashmiri yourself I suppose. Kashmiris are wonderful people, that’s not in question here.

  • So no resignation of Aviation minister and PIA chief this time?. the current PIA chief is from PAF so no one can question him?. Double standard of Imran Khan and PTI in general.

    • I would like to remind you that It is the aviation minister that opened this Pandora box. On the other hand both came into office fairly recently, you want them to bear the responsibility of decades of crimes and corruption?

      • The curropts are already gone means there is no more curroption which means govt is saving that money.
        Govt is also taking borrow more than ever before.
        To return debt, govt is taking more borrows.
        The earning from taxes are record breaking.

        Where is all that money now?

  • Unprecedented steps by PTI Govt indeed. No other political party had the courage to reveal any aircraft accident investigations. Those calling for CEO stepping down, these ignorant morons must be educated that these corrupt pilots were inducted pre 2018 between 2010-2018. It’s too convenient to blame man in charge. CEO Arshad Malik indeed brought down corruption, operating costs and PIA debt by a whopping percentage. See stats prior to covid epedemic hit the country.

    • When there is a problem in your own home, you will focus to sort it and will keep it hide rather then announcing in your town.

      When you hide it from people outside you home they will never know that there was a proplem.

      In this way you remain a gentleman rather than just a blame gamer.

  • Pakistan airlines is the laughing stock of the world along with its pilots I will never trust pia with the safety of me and my loved ones

  • As far as symbolism goes, PIA is representing Pakistan very appropriately.
    Nepotism, bribery, corruption. Yet somehow still surviving. Still kicking.

  • We should condemn this behavior of PTI government. They are big cause of all this stupidity and are reason behind this insult. Their open-mouthed ministers and advisors know nothing about the government. They put us in trouble every single time.

    • Hard decisions were required. If not today,then tommorow. One day the truth would’ve been in front of everyone. The previous governments are responsible for this in the first place

      • No one in this world is errorless but a gentleman always try to keep it hidden and try to solve then instead of just blaming.
        If Ghulam server is hero then why he didn’t announce it on the very first week of his job.

        • He did not announce it on first week of his job cuz no inquiry was conducted at that time. This inquiry was conducted after the PIA plane crash.
          Politics is also involved in this, if he had just silently fired 150 pilots then no one would’ve noticed and people would’ve said that no reforms were made by PTI govt.

        • I am not saying that ghulam server is a hero but he is no villain either.
          Firing 150 pilots and 69 employees is no joke. News would’ve spread on media either way. Yes, if they had kept silent then this news could’ve been delayed but news would’ve gotten out sooner or later.

  • This had to happen. All government organizations needs to be privatized since corruption and political interference is rampant.

  • اسی طرح تو پی آئی اے اونے پونے بکے گی اور بوٹوں والوں کا کمیشن نکلے گا اور سیرین ائیر اور عسکری ایوی ایشن کا کاروبار چلے گا۔
    ویسے اس حرام خور وزیر کی اپنی ڈگری بھی جعلی ھے۔
    پائلٹوں میں سب سویلین کیوں ھیں؟ کوئی ریٹائر فوجی کیوں نہیں؟اس لسٹ میں کسی نے سوچا؟
    سول ایوی ایشن اور پی آئی اے ہمیشہ سے حاضر سروس اور ریٹائرڈ فوجیوں کے قبضے میں رھی ھے مگر الزام صرف سویلین پر۔ کیا یہ کھلا تضاد نہیں؟

  • All these bloody fake pilots with fake licenses were hired by PMLN, PPP for lots of money, Mushahid Ullah khan the ex PIA loader now a corrupt senator was behind it, these bloody politicians made lots of money doing illegal things, they care less about the country & the people safety, everyone involved must get death sentence no less

  • Pakistan international is the greatest airline of all but use to runs by crooks, thieves, thugs, low life who destroy PIA name, people like bloody corrupt to the bones an ex PIA loader now a senator destroyed the airline, PMLN & PPP politicians also destroyed PIA, steel Mil and otter industries because they in the same business, they created own airline, steel mils, sugar mills making billions while Pakistan owned PIA, Steel Mills and otters industries were losing billions of dollars, these politicians deserve no less than death sentence who destroyed the nation


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