PIA to hire new pilots as rift widens with union

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has constituted a medical board on PIA’s request to examine pilots who had reported ‘sick’ few minutes before the departures of their scheduled flights.

While addressing a press conference in the federal capital, the PIA chairman said that the number of pilots creating hindrances in flight operations is very limited.

“The national carrier is already suffering huge losses still some individuals are adding to its woes,” he said.

Responding to the news of notices being issued to two pilots, Jaffer said the notices were issued by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and not PIA.

He further said that only two flights were cancelled on Tuesday out of the 102 scheduled for the day. “One got cancelled due unavailability of pilot while the other due to bad weather.”

Medical board constituted to examine ‘sick pilots’:

Meanwhile, taking notice of 21 PIA pilots and co-pilots reporting sick at the same time, CAA has constituted a medical board to examine their medical and psychological condition to ascertain professional viability.

The medical board would also examine how 21 individuals fell ill at the same time immediately after Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association (PALPA) announced its “go slow” policy, resulting in unforeseen flight delays inflicting losses on the national flag carrier and causing inconvenience to the passengers.

They have been given three different dates to appear before the medical board — on October 8, 12 and 19 — allowing them to appear in three groups so the flight schedule is not affected.

According to the airlines officials, the pilots who reported sick include Capt Abdul Matin Bhurgri, Capt Aurangzeb Hashmat Khan, Capt Jarrar Zafar, Capt Syed Ahsan Abbas Zaidi, Capt Salahuddin Jamal, Capt Muhammad Aman Durrani, Capt Khurram Mughal, Capt Nadeem Mussawar, Omer Rashid, First Officer Usman Hayat Malik, First Officer Irtiza Ali, First Officer Usman Rafique Chatha, First Officer Zaibunnisa, First Officer Kamran Khan, First Officer Asad Ilyas, First Officer Shahryar Ahmed Dogar, First Officer Ali Ahmed Saeed, First Officer Sabir ur Rehman, First Officer Taha Harris Anjum, First Officer Asim Zia and First Officer Zohaib Ahmed Sheikh.

PIA’s management has laid the blame on its pilots for creating the crisis, while PALPA on the other hand has accused the airline’s management of inefficiency and mismanagement.

PALPA had stated that it has only asked its members to “go by the book” while the management claimed the pilots called in sick at the last moment which resulted in the cancellation of flights.

Flight Operations Director Salman Azhar said PALPA’s “go by the book” step could be managed but the pilots’ calling in sick at the last moment could not be.

CAA spokesman Pervez George said: “PALPA has become a source of threat to the national carrier and is responsible for financial losses to the nation by dictating their personal agenda to the national airline and the State of Pakistan (CAA) by deliberately disregarding the flight safety rules and regulations which are made for the safety of passengers travelling by air, people on the ground and valuable national assets (aircraft).”

PALPA THREATENS TO MOVE ICAO:

Meanwhile, PALPA has decided to move the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) over the role of Pakistan’s CAA in supporting the aviation division and PIAC in media trial of pilots without thinking about their role in international community.

“We have decided to contact ICAO against the CAA for facilitating unjust actions to victimise pilots who reported sick in the legal frame of ICAO’s Air Navigation Order (ANO), Personnel Policies Manual PPM, Operations Manual OM & PALPA-PIAC Working Agreement,” said PALPA General Secretary Capt Sohail Ahmed.

“We are however, anxiously waiting for such notices which are being trumpeted since Friday. The certificate issuing authority should first consult the aviation rules and regulations, because if the same is reported to ICAO the CAA will become a laughing stock while the international organisation may decide to downgrade the Pakistani authority in its upcoming review,” added Sohail.

“The aviation authorities globally promote a culture where the pilots are the best judge themselves to determine whether they can fly a plane full of passengers or will become a safety risk themselves. Nowhere in the world the pilots are made a subject of media trial over their basic duty as calling sick is not a privilege but a duty in the world of aviation.”

Sohail said that the spokesman of aviation division had made the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) a laughing stock in the world of aviation. “We also request the media to get awareness about aviation to avoid falling for the aviation division’s and PIA’s propaganda,” he opined.