PIA pilot lets Chinese woman into cockpit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s state-run flag carrier is fast becoming betterknownfortheshenanigansof its pilots, with the latest instance being a Tokyo to Beijing flight duringwhichthecaptainallowed aChinesewomantoremaininthe cockpit for almost the entire duration of the journey.

Earlier this year, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been hit by reports that seven passengers were allowed to travel standing in the aisle on a Pakistan to Saudi Arabia flight and that a pilot took a two-and-ahalf hour nap in business class during an Islamabad to London flight.

Captain Shahzad Aziz, the pilot of PIA flight PK-853 from TokyotoBeijing,invitedayoung Chinese woman into the cockpit earlier this year, according to a Geo News reporter who was on the same aircraft.

Aziz spoke to the woman and exchangedphonenumberswith her before the first officer came and called her into the cockpit. She remained inside the cockpit for more than two hours. At one stage, Aziz was alone inside with thewoman,thechannelreported.

Thewomanemergedfromthe cockpit only after the plane landed and Geo News aired footage of her shot by its reporter on his mobile. The reporter said he was threatened by members of the crew not to film the incident.

The report said the pilot had beenaccusedofendangeringthe lives of the 150-odd passengers who were on the flight. The Chinese woman declined to answer questions from the Geo News reporter.

According to Pakistani law, unauthorised persons are not allowed into the cockpit at any time during flights as their presence is considered a safety hazard. The pilot is responsible for ensuring that no unauthorised person enters restricted sections of the aircraft.