Flight crew members of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) keep
disappearing in Canada
Flight crew members from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)
have been mysteriously disappearing during layovers in Toronto, with at least
eight incidents reported over the past two years. According to recent reports,
the disappearances occur when PIA crew members arrive in Toronto on flights
from Lahore or Islamabad, but do not show up for the return journey.
In the latest incident, a flight attendant named Ayaz arrived from
Lahore on flight PK-784, but did not show up for the scheduled return to
Islamabad. This follows a similar incident in November, where two flight
attendants, Khalid and Fida, reportedly disappeared after arriving on flight
PK-772 from Islamabad to Toronto.
PIA
blames Canadian asylum policy for the 'vanishing' of staff
Several other crew members have gone missing under similar
circumstances, including individuals named Muntazir (July), Ijaz and Ramzan
(both in October 2022). The pattern remains consistent: the crew members leave
the plane with colleagues but fail to appear for their scheduled return
flights. PIA spokespersons have confirmed these incidents, stating that
authorities have been notified and investigations are underway.
This issue is not limited to Toronto, as a similar incident
involving a crew member named Shazia was reported after a Lahore-to-Paris
flight in April 2019. The airline has recently announced stricter measures to
monitor employees during flights to Canada and Europe, including an age limit
for flight attendants on those routes (requiring them to be 50 or older) and
more frequent check-ins and better communication during layovers.
Transport
Canada reschedules visit to audit airports of Pakistan
PIA has faced various challenges, including financial difficulties
that led to unpaid salaries, grounding aircraft, and cutting routes in August.
In 2020, the airline also experienced a tragic crash that resulted in
fatalities among passengers and crew.
The disappearances have raised concerns, and PIA is taking steps
to address the situation by implementing tighter monitoring measures and
communication protocols for its flight crews.
Source: https://nationalpost.com/