This needless negative publicity involving PK 709 diversion to Stansted could have been avoided had the Captain behaved in a professional and mature manner, instead of creating an international scare, where none existed. A scuffle onboard a PIA flight to Manchester carrying hotheaded British citizens of Pakistani origin is not an unusual affair for frequent fliers on this route travelling in Economy. The PIA crew should have been more tactful in handling such situations.
The deterioration in human resources during past five years, when airline was run by incompetent officers has had its impact on professionalism, which was once the proud asset of the national airline. When pilot recruitment in PIA is allowed to be dominated by kith and kin of its senior executives and scions of top bureaucrats cum political elite, than professionalism and discipline were bound to be a casualty. Today PIA has become burden on tax payers. Half its fleet is grounded for lack of spares, yet the management and board of directors found it appropriate to give an unprecedented wage hike costing over Rs 3.5 billion annually.
Terrorists don’t get into scuffles with fellow passengers and in the heat of the moment hurl threats as was done in this case.
