Pakistan: 150 PIA pilots grounded on suspicion of false licenses

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150 pilots of Pakistan International Airlines, the Pakistani national airline, are banned from flying on suspicion of holding false licenses. Revelations that come a month after the crash of a PIA A320 in a residential area of ​​Karachi.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Islamabad, Sonia Ghezali

Of the 434 pilots of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), a third is suspected of practicing thanks to false licenses. Blow, prohibition to fly for these 150 pilots, announced the Pakistani national airline company.

Many people on social media express their dismay. The PIA which operates domestic and international flights has a long list of plane crashes. The A320 crash on May 22 in Karachi, which left 98 dead, is the latest incident to date. The pilots were not concentrated at the time of landing and were discussing the coronavirus, the black boxes revealed.

Lack of qualification

The preliminary report released Wednesday, June 24, also questions the negligence of air traffic controllers who did not report that the aircraft's engines had struck the runway several times during a failed first attempt at landing.

The PIA is not the only airline in the country to hire unqualified pilots. More than 30% of working Pakistani pilots did not participate in the exams themselves to obtain their license, according to the Minister of Aviation.

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• Pakistan
• Transport
• Aeronautics

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