Fake pilot scandal prompts US to block flag carrier PIA
US move follows similar decision by European body
Pakistan’s national airline has been barred from flying to the US as a result of a scandal in which almost one-third of the nation’s pilots were found to have faked certifications.
The US Transportation Department notified Pakistan International Airlines Corp.’s lawyers in Washington on July 1 that its authorisation to operate to US destinations was being immediately suspended. The department released a copy of the letter on Thursday.
PIA has been wracked by years of financial losses and on May 22 suffered a fatal crash in which 98 people died after pilots of an Airbus SE jet inexplicably retracted the landing gear just before touchdown, damaging its engines. The flight crew tried to lift off again, but the engines failed a
Pakistan said last month that 262 out of over 850 airline pilots had fake certificates and didn’t sit in the qualification exams.
short time later. Pakistan said last month that 262 out of over 850 airline pilots had fake certificates and didn’t sit in the qualification exams themselves that are conducted by the regulator.
Setback for PIA
The US move follows the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s decision last month to ban airlines from Pakistan flying to its member states.
“It is a setback for PIA due to the prevailing scandal,” Pakistan International Airlines spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan said by phone. “PIA had worked very hard to get direct flights permission.”