PIA initiates inquiry against pilot for allowing passenger in cockpit

KARACHI: PIA has initiated an inquiry against one of its pilots on Tuesday after he was accused of allowing a passenger inside the cockpit of a PIA aircraft. This is the third inquiry to have been initiated against a PIA pilot recently. 

The video as shown by some TV channels clearly shows footage from flight PK-853, travelling from Tokyo to Beijing, of a Chinese girl, entering and exiting the cockpit. However, it cannot be said with certainty whether the aircraft was on the ground or in the air.

Under civil aviation rules, the airline crew cannot allow unauthorised people in the cockpit, especially during landing and takeoff. However, an authorised person could enter the cockpit while the aircraft was in flight only if permitted by the captain.

PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani said that the “matter was being investigated”. The pilot in command of the flight was Capt Shahzad Aziz, as confirmed by the spokesperson.

In 2015, a pilot came under fire for allowing Reham Khan, former wife of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairperson Imran Khan, to sit in the cockpit during a flight from Lahore to London. PIA initiated an inquiry against the said pilot.

Recently, the PIA has also initiated two inquiries against two other pilots, one for allowing extra passengers on a Saudi Arabia-bound flight and another who was photographed sleeping inside a passenger cabin on an international flight.