Airline fires 28 pilots with tainted licences

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national carrier is firing 28 pilots found to have tainted licences, the company’s spokesman said yesterday, the latest in a scandal in the wake of the Airbus A320 crash in Karachi in May.

An inquiry into the crash that killed 97 people on board resulted in the revelation that 260 of 860 pilots in Pakistan had cheated on their pilot exams, but were still given licences by the Civil Aviation Authority. The government fired five officials of the regulatory agency and criminal charges against them are being considered. According to reports, 262 pilots are grounded.

The national airline has deteriorated as successive governments doled out patronage by giving jobs at Pakistan International Airlines to supporters.