Reputation of Pakistani pilots nosedived worldwide
Pak Chronicle Report
Islamabad
The issue of fake licenses of pilots in Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has started receiving worldwide backlash as after European Union decision, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also asked Pakistani authorities to verify the licensing credentials of Pakistani pilots working over there.
These pilots are holding UAE pilots’ licences based on licences and qualification issued by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
In a letter addressed to Director General PCAA, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has requested for the verification of 50 Pakistani pilots and four flight operation officers.
UAE GCAA wants clarification on fake and suspect cases:
“We would like to request your good offices to verify the licensing credentials of the attached pilots list who are currently holding UAE pilot’s licences based on licences and qualifications issued by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. May we also request a clarification between “FAKE” and “SUSPECT” cases “if any” so we may take immediate and appropriate actions in the interest of safety of flight operations,” stated the letter issued on June 29, 2020.
According to this letter the UAE employs a number of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and Flight Operations Officers who converted their respective licences issued by PCAA.
“We would highly appreciate if a confirmation is also provided if there were any such compromise to the integrity of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer and Flight Operations Officer systems.
In the interest of safety of flight operations; we would appreciate if above requested information is provided at the earliest,” the letter added.
The move follows from grounding of 262 pilots whose licences Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had termed “dubious”.
Earlier the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) had suspended the authorisation for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate in the bloc for six months.
Pakistan’s aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had informed the parliament on Wednesday that a large number of commercial pilots hold fake licences or cheated in exams.
Revelations into this connection were made by him after an initial report into a PIA crash that killed 97 people last month and found the cause to be human error by the pilot and air traffic control.
PALPA rejects Ministry of Civil Aviation fake pilots’ list:
Meanwhile Pakistan Air Line Pilots’ Association (PALPA) has rejected the list of pilots having bogus licences issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
” The list of suspect flying licenses released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation is incorrect and based on inaccurate data and therefore PALPA rejects the list,” stated a statement issued to media by PALPA.
It maintained that despite the declaration of Minister for Civil Aviation about the availability of the list on web, the report is not available on either Minister’s website or on the website of PCAA.
It also stated that the Pilots were grounded on the basis of a list which has not been published officially, and which is not accurate.
Moreover, PCAA holds all the record of pilots’ licenses but PCAA has issued no such list to PIA nor has informed any pilot individually regarding the suspected license, PALPA further maintained.
“The grounding of pilots is illegal as no showcase or the reason for their ineligibility to fly was given according to rules,” the press release stated.
PALPA is an organisation which has been engaged, since inception, with the welfare of pilots working in PIA.
It has also assured all concerned, within and outside Pakistan, that the pilots flying PIA are duly qualified, properly licensed and adequately experienced.
At the same time, PALPA unequivocally assured all concerned, that it does not and never will protect any member/pilot whose qualifications and/or licensing are not genuine.
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